The Knight of the Faded Fire
by TheDroid2012
Summary: A Black Knight finds himself in a new world, in a new Age. Accepting to protect it from the forces that threaten the balance between light and dark, he begins a journey with an unexpected partner. (Rated M for gore and violence.) (V1 finished. On hiatus.)
1. Prologue I

**A.N: So this is the first story I will publish here. I will apologize for any mistakes I make while writing this crossover. Reviews and criticism are encouraged, as I will try my best to improve. However, I will ignore insults and comments made out of spite against my work. Nobody deserves those. Also, posting this on M rating for insults and/or future gore and blood. That being said, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: neither RWBY nor Dark Souls belong to me. RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Prologue**

Darkness. That was all that he could see. He couldn't move, he couldn't feel and his senses were completely numb. _'Death, at last…'_ he thought. Nothing but the silence of the dark and empty space that stands before him. Completely still, he left his mind to wander, allowing himself to give in to the eternal rest that awaited him with open arms. He remembered one last time his life and his adventures within it, both the cherished moments and the ones filled with grief. All while he waited for his final rest to come…

And waited…

And waited…

…

' _Huh…'_ he thought _'I expected death to be something a little bit more… interesting'_. The endless extent of nothing but darkness in front of him was forbidding the first few minutes, then it just became unamusing. Out of boredom, he tried to move his body or open his eyes. After a few seconds his strength started to flow back into him, slowly recovering the feeling in his fingers, then his arms and legs, and finally the rest of his body. Opening his eyes, he discerned the familiar sensation of his armor and the vision of inside his helm that he had grown accustomed to.

Focusing his vision forward, his eyes wondered around the place his body was in and recognized it immediately. It was the Kiln. The Kiln of the First Flame. He was inside the circular structure that surrounded and protected the bonfire in which the First Flame burned. Or used to, as instead of the fire that the First Flame produced there was nothing more than ashes and a broken coiled sword. He then looked at himself and found his body covered in ash completely. _'That explains the extra weight I felt'_ he thought to himself.

Willing his body to move, he straightened himself and the ashes fell from his body. He was slumped close to the circular wall before he sat and gave another look around. The place was covered not only in ashes and dust, but also with the armors and weapons of the other Black Knights. That raised a lot of questions in his mind: what were they doing here? How had they arrived? If so much time had passed that his comrades were nothing more than dust, why was he alive? He pulled himself up to his feet with great effort, his muscles completely stiff for what he thought must have been _years_ of laying still in a very uncomfortable way.

When he was up to his feet again, strength returning to all his body, he looked down and found his favored weapon, a Black Knight Greatsword, alongside his shield. The action of picking his weapons up brought back all kinds of memories, both to his mind and his muscles. Swinging his weapon in a couple slashes made him regain his remaining will and strength. Putting his sword on his shoulder and grabbing his shield with the left hand, he wondered around the room that he was in. He passed close to the armors of his fellow knights and uttered a silent prayer for them, confused and saddened about the situation. He watched the weapons that they carried: Black Knight swords and glaives, a couple of their greataxes and a Dragonslayer Greatbow (there were no Silver Knights around, so he wondered how that last one got there).

He would have liked to take them back to Anor Londo and offer them to be buried in a tomb for remembering his fallen brothers, but he couldn't carry them all if he had to make the travel back to the city of the Gods alone. I fact, he wondered if there was a city to return to after all this time. Moving to the center of the arena, where the remains of the coiled sword laid, he was surprised to find a set of armor that he recognized as the remains of the Elite Knight armor set. Just by looking at it, memories started flowing to his head, alongside a terrible pain. He remembered this knight: he was the one that enter the Kiln years after Lord Gwyn sacrificed himself to the flame. His memories as a hollow in the Kiln were blurry at best, but he recognized the armor of the one that killed him, freeing him from the curse that his lord had created.

As all the other knights in Anor Londo, his loyalty to the Gwyn and his family was undeniable, but he was one of the few around him that saw the fear that had taken control over their God. It grew over time, through the actions taken by himself and others, and that finally led to his sacrifice to maintain the Age of the Gods. It was a mistake, and the knight knew it, but followed his lord to the end as his loyalty demanded, even if his disliking of his master had grew over the last years he served him. But now Gwyn was dead, his sword and crown close by confirmed it, and he was free to do as he pleased.

A small tinge of fear crossed his head, as he mused if he could fit in whatever new age he had awoken in, but in the end he didn't care. He was a knight no matter the circumstances and he will help those that deserved to be helped. Moving back to the body of the one that he supposed smothered the flame, he found a small pouch in his belt, the only thing made out of leather that survived in his body. His curiosity made him sheathe his sword on his back and pick the object. Opening it, he found nothing but darkness. Confused, he reached inside and found that the pouch must contain some kind of magic, as it could sallow almost all his arm being a little bigger than the size of his hand. He felt something resembling a handle and pulled out of the pouch. In his fist a Longsword that shouldn't be possible to fit inside.

The next hour was spent in pulling in and out different weapons, armors and objects. "I wouldn't be surprised if there was almost every weapon and armor around Lordran in this thing." He thought out loud. His voice came out coarse and rough, but seeing as how he hadn't used it in so much time, he wasn't too surprised. After seeing that he had inspected almost every item on the bag, he used it to pack the rest of his brethren's weapons and tried to find and exit. The main one had collapsed and it would be impossible to open it without everything crumbling down on him. His patience was starting to run thin, and this turn of events wasn't helping.

Before he could search for another exit, he heard a small whisper, something too soft to understand. A second later, voice spoke again this time more audible, but still a faint whisper, "Over here…" He looked around and found no one. Another whisper pulled his vision towards the remains of the First Flame. And there, where the broken sword was impaled, now was a small orange flame. Striding cautiously towards it, he noticed it was even smaller than the one that the pyromancers held in their hands sometimes. He kneeled on one leg and looked closer. It was small and weak, but he could feel an immense power hidden within it.

"You finally answered my call, great knight. I have been trying to wake you up from your eternal rest for hundreds of years" the voice said "Hmm… I can sense it, you are confused. Maybe I can help if you tell me how"

His patience snapped. Confused? Confused!? How was he supposed to be anything other than confused!? It was already enough with the situation he had around him, and now he had to deal with a tiny, speaking fire! Sure, he knew the First Flame was powerful enough to create the Gods and move the world into a new age, but this little fire looked nothing like the great and mighty First Flame. _'First waking up to know everything and everyone around is ashes and then this. Ugh… why do I have the terrible feeling this will not end well for me'_

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 **A.N: I will be publishing more chapters when I have time. Meanwhile, feel free to comment and send your own advice. The next chapters will be longer, this is just a prologue to present the story. Have a great day!**


	2. Prologue II

**A.N: second part of the prologe of this story. Most of it is explanation and a little bit of exposition. These chapters are going to be mostly about that, but don't worry, when this is done the rest of the story will be much smoother with less exposition. Feel free to rewiev at your heart's content.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Prologue (Part II)**

The knight seated down in front of the little fire and tried to compose himself. _'Great. Just great. Of course, I couldn't just rest in peace.'_ he sighed _'Fine. I'll listen to what it has to say at least. But I will be the one who chooses what happens next.'_ He tried to give the flame an annoyed look, but his helmet didn't allow to see the face of the one wearing it from outside.

"Now that you have calmed yourself, I believe and explanation is in order." said the flame. The knight noticed it's voice sounded like the ones of a child, a woman and a man speaking at the same time. It even shined a little bit every time it let out a sound.

"Yes, and make it quick. I'm already out of patience, even more now that you told that me being alive is your doing." His voice sounding even more threatening because of the years of it not being used. "Don't waste my time." He said while reaching for his greatsword on his back.

"Please, calm down. I know you're angry but you must understand that I brought you back from the dead for a very good reason." When the flame saw that his hand left the handle of the sword, it relaxed and changed its tone into a more serious one. "I brought you back because this world is in grave danger. The balance between light and dark is threatened and I need your help to protect the people that live in this Age."

"What makes you think I will help you?" asked the knight.

"Don't you think that the people that have suffered in this world for so long deserve a chance like the one you had?" inquired the little flame. It was trying to pull on his righteousness to force him to help, but he was no fool. There were still many questions in his head and he will not make a decision until he felt satisfied.

"If you need someone to help you protect this age, why didn't you call upon the undead that ended the course" he said pointing toward his armor "or even lord Gwyn? They are more powerful than I."

"Power is not the issue." Answered the flame "I didn't revive the one that cured the curse because, in his travels, he had already suffered too much. And I can't simply trust your lord. Not anymore." It continued, "I chose you because you were the leader of the Black Knights and I saw what you did to protect those in need. This age needs someone like you."

The knight sighed. If what the flame said was true, then this world is in a very bad situation. He looked around: all what he knew was gone and forgotten, all covered in ash and dust. "So you chose me as your… paladin, right?" the flame nodded –or gave what appeared to be a nod. It would seem that this new world was his only option now. And if he was going to live in it, he might as well defend it. "Before we move on, I wanted to ask… are you the First Flame? Or at least what remains of it?"

The flame thought for a moment. "Yes and no." it said. "You see, the life of this world is a cycle. From the darkness comes a fire that shines that same darkness away until it expires. None of them are good or evil by nature, they simply bring new ages back and forth." It explained. "I am your First Flame, but at the same time I am the one that two beings of this age used to create this new world. And every time is a different one. I can never disappear completely, but neither can the darkness that comes after me. You called it the Abyss, and in your age it was something tangible and physical. Here it doesn't have a name, because it hasn't been discovered and it's too soon for it to appear."

"If that… darkness, as you call it, isn't the one endangering this age, then what is it?"

"It's something that has created itself from that darkness and grew corrupted with time, and now corrupts fragments of that darkness and creates monsters and creatures to consume this world. The inhabitants of this world call them The Creatures of Grimm, or simply Grimm." The flame seemed to think it's next words for a moment. "Seeing this, I gave the people powers to defend themselves from it, but the Grimm and their mistress – the first corrupted piece – grow stronger and I needed another way to stop them."

He nodded, taking in the explanation. The Abyss existed because they didn't allow the next Age to come, and they paid for their mistakes. But these people were suffering without reason, and this time he had a chance to stop the pain. "So you want me to destroy these fragments of corrupted darkness, these 'Grimm', and their mistress, am I wrong?"

"Only their leader." The flame corrected. "The Grimm are too many and even without their mistress they would keep appearing. But without her, they will grow weaker and the ones created from my light will be able to survive and prosper as they should have done long ago."

The knight nodded and then looked at his armor and weapons. While the sword and the shield where in relatively good state, his armor was weakened and partially destroyed. It's gold trimmings long gone and the joints in it greatly rusted. He gave the flame an angry look. "I still have questions that you will answer…" he then calmed himself and continued "but I've got nowhere to go and I can't leave innocent beings in danger. I accept your deal, but I want to know everything I need in order to stop the Grimm."

"I understand." The flame said happily. "As for your armor, you don't need to worry about it. You will absorb me and use my power to save this world. I might be a _shadow_ of what I once was but I'm still more powerful than any human or faunus In this world." It said with a chuckle.

"What is a fa- wait… was that a pun?" he asked, surprised by the sudden humor that the little fire had used.

It chuckled again "What? Is it not possible for an eternal, powerful and speaking fire like me to have sense of humor? You do realize that while I do have the occasional contact with other beings, I am pretty much alone… and bored." He continued "Also, if we are going to work together you can call me Ember, as I am not longer a flame or a fire. If I may ask, what is your name?"

The knight opened his mouth to answer, but no name came to mind. He tried to remember it but he couldn't. His memories started to resurface, slowly and painfully. The pain was such that he dropped to his knees and clutched his head between his hands, trying to stop the pain. It was at this moment that a memory surfaced from his mind…

* * *

 _The light shined over the walls of the great cathedral of Anor Londo. Walking the steps up to the interior of the building, accompanied by two of his fellow Silver Knights, he caught sight of two children. The tallest of the both was carrying the other one over his shoulders. They were playing as if they were charging in a battlefield. When the smallest of the two saw the 3 returning guards and recognized the leading one, he signaled them to his brother, who put him on the ground and both moved towards the guards._

 _As both approached, the older one called the leader of the knights "[][][][][][][], you are back!" He then turned to his brother "See, Gwyndolin, I told you that not even the skeletons of the Gravelord could harm him! He is back in flesh and 'bone'" said Gwyn's firstborn while trying to smother a laugh._

" _Stop doing that, brother!" said the other child in response of the pun. There was nothing too special about the eldest of the two. He was well formed and was trained under the tutelage of his father and two of the Four Knights of his lord: Artorias and Ornstein. On the other hand, Gwyndolin, was anything but normal, even if he was a god. He was very pale compared to the rest of the gods. He was small, even for his age, but the most remarkable aspect of him were the snakes that worked as his legs. The boy itself was shy and introverted, the complete contrary of his energetic and eccentric brother, but the knight supposed that being treated like a girl for his affinity to the moon didn't help his self-esteem._

" _Th-the tomb of Grav-gravelord Nito is a scary and d-dark place. H-he doesn't like be-being disturbed. Did his skeletons attack you, [][][][][][][]?" asked the child._

" _No, milord. The Gravelord is is a host that wants nothing more than to rest in peace, but understands the necessity of contacting the other Lords and watch over the Flame. He is not violent unless provoked, and being the lord of death, patience is one of his virtues." He then leaned closer to the two brothers and whispered in a playful tone "Although, I rather not have to go down there again. The feeling of being surrounded by corpses and skeletons, all in the darkness…" While talking he sneaked a hand behind the smallest of the two "waiting to snatch you to the depths!" he half-shouted, half-whispered while grabbing the shoulder of the child._

 _With a small scream, Gwyndolin ran behind his older brother, this last one laughing alongside the knights that watched the scene. "Y-you are so mean sometimes, [][][][][][][]!" he pouted with an angry look "I will tell f-father to force you to clean the w-whole city!"_

 _The look that he gave turned out to be more funny than threatening. "I'm sorry, milord." He said when he stopped laughing. "It's always fun to be with you two, but Lord Gwyn awaits me in his chambers. If you excuse me." He started moving towards the beautiful building while waving his goodbyes to the brothers._

" _Fine, but only if you promise to train with me later, [][][][][][][]." said the eldest_

 _Gwyndolin stepped from behind his brother and said "A-and then you must play with us outside when you are done!" His pout was replaced with a smile and an expectant look._

 _The knight turned and bowed "Always at your service, milords." He said smiling, and then continued to walk towards his destination…_

* * *

His senses started to respond again but his head was still pounding. A faint voice that was barely audible brought him back to reality "…ar me!? Great Knight, are you there!?" He regained his bearings and recognized the flame, or, as it called itself, Ember, calling him. He slowly rose to one knee, still holding his head with one hand.

"I-I'm fine, I'm fine." He finally answered "I can not remember my name, but I have memories of my past. Faint ones, but they are there. Is this because of you calling me back into life or because I became hollowed?"

"Hmm…" Ember thought for a moment before continuing "Maybe both, but if you were able to remember some of them, maybe with time you will recall the rest." The little fire waited until the knight stood up and picked it from the coiled sword the flame was shining. It didn't burn to the touch, but it was warm and comforting. "That still leaves us with the problem of your name, but luckily this world can provide a solution in a fairly easy manner."

"How so?" The knight was still worried about not remembering his name, but if he was to start again in a new world he assumed it wasn't a bad idea to begin with a new name.

"This world bases the names of it's people in creativity and individualism because of a war, mainly in the form of colors." He said "However that can wait. Absorb me and my powers first and then we will pick a name that you like."

That… didn't sound as bad as he expected. For a world that he supposed was in great suffering, it was a small spark of hope naming it's people after something so diverse and brilliant. "Very well. Anything I should know before we are bound together?"

"Just one thing: you will live for as long as I exist in this age. You will not be able to die until I disappear, no matter the damage your body takes. It still a long way before my light fades, but when it does, you will fade too, but I don't know if you will come back when I do for a new Age" Ember explained.

The knight shrugged "I lived long enough, I'm not afraid of death. And if not even death can stop us from killing the ones that we are after, then much better."

"Then bring me close to your chest and I will do the rest." The knight complied and brought his right hand close to his chest, watching as Ember slowly transferred itself into his body in a warm sensation.

And then he felt it.

An unmeasurable amount of power accompanied by the same amount of pain. It came in waves, heating his body and armor, almost as if he was cooking himself in an oven. He dropped his shield attached to his left forearm and clutched his chest while he shouted in pain. He dropped to his knees and barely got hold of his consciousness. And then, as fast as it appeared, the sensation of pain left, while his whole body and armor shined in a light so bright that illuminated all the Kiln and would have blinded anyone that had been there at the moment.

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 **A.N: this will be the last of the prologes. The next chapter will start the strory itself, but it will still be mostly exposition to clear some of the gaps. As far as I have planned it will be last chapter that consists mostly in exposition and I will try to keep it that way while not over extending. I don't have a maximum of words per chapter, but I don't plan in making them too long, at least not these ones that are merely descriptons of the world and the powers of Ember. With all that said, have a great day!**


	3. Chapter I

**A.N: here it is! The fist chapter of the story itself. This chapter won't change much but it builds up for the next one, which will be in Remnant itself and takes care of most of the exposition. I will leave at the end an example of the types of speech that I will be introducing and using during the story. They are not final, so if I change anything I'll tell it an a.n.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter I**

 **Born of Ashes**

With the fusion over, the knight opened his eyes and found himself staring at the ashes in the floor. Seeing as how he was on his knees and hunched over, he wasn't surprised at all. He raised his back and stood up, even if his legs trembled still from the pain of the transformation. He stretched himself and popped his joints. _'I've taken worse hits,'_ he mused _'but that still felt as if Knight Ornstein had shocked me completely while Smough used my body to practice with his hammer, both at the same time'_

' _Yes, my apologies for that, but I had to accustom your body to host my power without consuming your soul. On the other hand,'_ it said, _'congratulations. Now you have the power of a being capable of creating new ages inside your body. Still, there's something wrong in your soul. Let me check…'_

' _Great, now you can hear my thoughts, apart from being inside of me. Sure, let us throw privacy out of the window, why on all the Abyss not.'_ He sighted.

' _Oh, hush you. Don't be such a crybaby.'_ He responded. _'Instead, why don't you check your armor and weapons? I'm sure their state will gladly surprise you.'_

He was picking back his shield when he noticed his gauntlet. It was still his preferred armor, but it was looking as new as when the giant weaponsmith of Anor Londo had given it to him. The metal, even if black, was shining, without impurities, as if no time had passed from the day it was forged. He turned his gaze to his chestplate and found the same result: completely restored to it's former glory, without holes or rusted parts. No slashes from weapons and the gold markings that used to embellish it back in their places, giving the armor a terrifying but almost regal look to it.

When he noticed the rest of his armor was the same, he took off his helmet and gave it a good look: the nose was in it's correct position again and the horns weren't twisted or broken. Putting it back on, he looked around to try to find an exit. The walls of the arena used to be composed by a tall wall followed up by rows of arcs that reached high up. Now the arena was completely drowned in ash and the walls had lost their arcs and now formed an irregular circular wall that reached outside of eyesight.

He facepalmed, "Great. I'm going to have to climb all the way up, aren't I?" To fuel his confusion even more, his voice now sounded exactly as it did when he last used it before coming to the Kiln. Contrary to the common belief of the people of Lordran, the knights that served Gwyn during all the Age of the Gods didn't grew old and die. They weren't immortal as the gods, but none of them had died of natural causes during all the centuries they served him and his family. They were part human, however, and they did grow physically to the point of resembling someone in their mid-twenties to almost their thirties, but much taller than a normal human.

' _Stop complaining. You have my powers, strength and stamina. Trust me, you won't even break a sweat climbing that up.'_ Answered Ember.

' _Break a sweat? What? Is that how people of this age speak? Gods above, I'm feeling old.'_ He sighted, _'Fine, I'll do it, but I want you to fill me in about this world while I'm at it.'_ One last check around the arena to see if he was leaving anything behind and he started climbing on the surface that seemed to be more rock than ash.

' _Of course.'_ After that, Ember spent a few seconds in silence while the knight climbed the wall. With a sudden shout of interest, that startled the knight, almost throwing him back down to the Kiln, Ember continued. _'AHA! So that's what was wrong with your soul. So,'_ Ember paused for a moment, _'want to hear the news?'_

' _Are they good or bad?'_ he asked, worried, while jumping from one ledge to another. The climb was hard, but Ember was right when it told him that he wouldn't feel tired.

' _It's not bad per se, but it can become a problem if not used carefully.'_ With that, Ember started explaining. _'It seems that the part of you that is human spent a lot of time in contact with the dark while you were dead. When I entered your body, it tried to resist, but when it understood the purpose of our mission, it allowed me to enter and open itself to grant you even more power.'_ After letting the words sink in, it continued. _'The problem is that, unlike me, this part of you connects to the darkness instead of the light. You can use it and it will activate itself in case that you are in danger, but you can lose control of yourself while you use it unless you have the will to resist it. I can bring you back if that happens but it would take time and you may hurt others even if you don't want to.'_

He reached another ledge with both hands just as his feet slipped of the surface of another rock. _'An extra pool of power if the situation gets dangerous, but I must be careful in using it. Got it.'_ He frowned when his hand grabbed another ledge and it broke, forcing him to reach a little bit higher to another ledge. _'Say, one of those powers of yours wouldn't be flying, would it? Because if it was I would be thankful… and angry at you for not telling me sooner.'_

There was a small moment of awkward silence, making the knight stop and wait for an answer. _'Well…'_ begun Ember, _'You can't fly, but you can use my power to propel from the ground to quite the height. I think there would be almost no limit to what you reach, depending only in the strength that you use, and I can protect you from fall damage.'_

He sighed and spoke out loud out of annoyance, "You know, things like this could come in handy if you told me about them _before_ of, oh I don't know, making me climb a wall or something!?" He closed his eyes and breathed out, "Can it pull me up to that big broken ledge over there?" he asked, while signaling with his head towards a ledge that extend out to the center of the empty space and that seemed to lead to an exit on the wall.

He felt a nod – somehow – on his head coming from Ember. _'Very well, let's try this.'_ He focused his strength on his legs and jumped, breaking the small ledges that he was using as support. Not only did he reached the ledge without having to grab to it, but it looked like it was holding his and the armor's weight. Turning towards the wall, he was surprised to find a door made out of rock but just high enough to fit him. _'Maybe the people of this age created this entrance upon finding the remains of the Kiln.'_ He thought.

' _Perhaps we can find an exit through there'_ said Ember.

' _At least I don't have to keep climbing.'_ He opened the doors without trouble and found themselves in a short corridor that lead to a wall, with some stairs going up on the right at the end of the hallway. It was completely made out of the same rock that made the walls of the arena. However, these ones seemed to be in a better state, while still very old. The walls were made out of arcs with small engravings in the center of them, although time had made unrecognizable.

While he walked, he told Ember to tell him about what he was capable of doing with his newfound powers. The little fire started to explain, _'What I have given you is what you could call and empowered version of an Aura.'_ Seeing the confused expression on the knight's face, it continued talking, _'Aura is the power that some humans and faunus of this world use to protect themselves from the Grimm. It is the power of a soul: it protects is wearer and grants them abilities outside of normal human reach, like more strength, agility, improved reflexes, etc. It is not endless though, and enough damage can deactivate it for a while. It is also affected by the feelings of it's owner'_

' _Affected, how?'_ he asked, as he reached the stairs and started climbing step by step while he unsheathed his greatsword, changing it in the pouch for a Black Knight Sword. It was a thin stairwell, so any other Black Knight weapon would useless. When the sword came out, it looked like it was never used, completely new and sharpened. He supposed the rest of the weapons in the pouch would be the same thanks to Ember.

Ember hummed while searching for the words to explain, _'If the owner feelings are 'good', like happiness, force of will, companionship and the like, their aura can be pushed beyond the limit, helping it's user in dire times.'_ He continued, _'But if the user is afraid, desperate, feeling betrayed or worse, it's aura will weaken, to the point that it may be enough to shut it down even without physically hurting them. Also, if their concentration is weakened, so will their aura. That is why the humans and faunus of this world attend to specialized academies that train hunters and huntresses: people capable of masterfully using their Aura and Semblance to protect the rest of them from the Grimm.'_

The knight hummed in response and acknowledged the information. He had already thought about a couple of ways of quickly shutting someone's Aura out if they stood in their way. _'What are these… 'faunus' that you keep talking about?'_

' _They are humanoid beings with animalistic traits, like an extra pair of ears or different eyes. Some of their traits are more noticeable than others, but they all have greatly improved vision, both in day and night.'_ He paused for a moment, and the knight could feel a small tinge of sadness from Ember. They had arrived at another hallway with another set of stairs when it continued, _'It pains me to say that they have been discriminated for their differences to the point of a war between them and the humans.'_ Ember paused for a moment, _'They managed to be treated more equality at the end of it, but there still racism towards them from many humans. To top it all off, an extremist faction of faunus leads terrorist attacks without care, hurting both humans and faunus. Their own attacks lead to even more conflicts between both species, feeding a cycle of hate that could be disastrous!'_ Ember shouted the last part out of anger, leaving the both silent as they reached another set of stairs.

' _Sorry. I don't usually lose my temper, but it's so… frustrating, to create something and watch them tear themselves apart instead of helping each other against the Grimm.'_ Explained with sadness.

' _I don't like it either, but I promise you that I will treat them equally, unless they oppose us.'_ Said the knight.

' _Thank you.'_ Said Ember, _'I knew you were the right one'_ After a few seconds of silence, Ember spoke again, _'Let me explain you about Semblance, the powers that you have with me and a little history about this world: Remnant'_

' _Joy. History class.'_ Muttered the knight.

Ember laughed, _'I think there is a little bit of voice left in your sarcasm.'_ It then proceeded to explain. Semblance was a power related to Aura, but this one was unique to the person, as there were limitless possibilities. Some Semblances might be similar or the same, but that was extremely rare. What was more common where hereditary semblances, from families that came from a legacy of hunters and huntresses.

Then, Ember explained that his body and armor had changed due to the fusion. Fire and lava wouldn't affect him at all, and other elements like electricity and ice would be very weak against him. He now could cast pyromancies powerful enough to melt an entire building, as the fire provided by Ember couldn't run out. He could also coat his weapons on fire at will, without melting them, for as long as he wished. Ember wasn't sure if he could cast miracles or spells any longer, but he could try it later. The armors and clothes that he wore from now on would be reinforced and could resist the elements like his new body. Obviously, the armor that he was wearing now would be more resistant and protective in combat than casual clothes.

Ember remarked that his aura was also extremely powerful and was able to take much more punishment than any other being, but that it didn't know what his semblance was. With enough time it could be awoken by Ember and it will tell him when it knew. While all of this was great, he was more surprised to know that he wouldn't need to sleep, eat, go to the bathroom or even _breathe_ , but that it wasn't necessary that he stopped. All the food and liquids would go to Ember and used to give him a little sensation of refreshment and rest, just like sleeping.

Ember was about to begin the 'history class' when they reached a floor without any more stairs. This one was still a corridor, only that a little bit longer than the rest, and that leaded to another, more worn out door made out of rock. It had vines and holes coming through it, but most importantly, sunlight. Before he could open it, he was stopped by Ember, _'Wait!'_ when the knight stopped it continued to speak _'We must give you a name!'_

It was right, he needed a name for Remnant. "How can we choose it? I know about colors, but I don't know if they are the same in this world."

' _Don't worry, I have it covered.'_ He didn't knew if that was supposed to give him hope or scare him. _'We can go from the general to the more specific ones. I was thinking that your first name could be related to your black armor, as for the surname I have... no idea what color would you like. That being said, this is just a suggestion. If you think of another way, feel free to choose.'_

He liked the idea, honestly, but was also at a loss for his surname. After a bit of thinking, an idea popped into his mind, "What about the eyes?"

Ember stopped thinking to answer, _'What about them?'_

"We could use my blue eyes for my surname. I think it fits pretty well, taking onto account what you told me."

' _Yeah… about that…'_ seeing the confused look on his face, Ember explained, _'Your eyes changed color when we fused. Take a look.'_ He took his helmet of and Ember used their connection to send him an image as if he was standing before himself.

His face hadn't changed during all this years. He had grown a small beard around his mouth and on his chin. It extended to his jaws and his sideburns. He was quite handsome and his face was the one of a young man, though the beard gave him an older, more mature look. He used to have a vertical scar over his right eye towards his cheek that he supposed had disappeared because of the fusion. His hair, although not too long, had been growing for quite a while without a haircut and he was going to need to solve that later. But what really took his attention were his eyes: where before a beautiful light blue gave color to his eyes, now they had turned a bright yellow, which could give a terrifying look or shine with the light of a warm and comfortable fire.

' _My apologies for the change, but it was something inevitable. I can try to bring your old color back but-'_ It was surprised to be cut by the knight.

"No, it's fine." He said in a calm tone, "Honestly, I think I like it, and that it suits what I- we have become." He said while turning one way and another his head, examining himself.

' _Ehem…'_ said Ember, bringing the knight back to reality, _'I was thinking about a few names while you looked at yourself. How does Jet sound to you?'_

"Hmm… no, I don't like it as my new name." He answered.

' _How about… Pitch?'_

"Nah. That one is _peachy_ but I don't think it suits me." He answered with a smirk.

' _Ha. Ha. Ha. And I thought I was the one with bad humor.'_ Ember thought for a moment, _'Does Onyx sound good?'_

The knight stopped for a second before answering, "Not bad. I like it." He continued, "Now something related to yellow, right?"

' _Yes, indeed. Give me a moment…'_

' _I like this naming system. It's… entertaining.'_ He mused. This brought a small giggle from Ember before it answered.

' _One that comes to mind is Saffron. Like it?'_ asked Ember.

"It's good but…" While thinking, a word came to his mind. He didn't know why and no memories or pains came along, just the word and a small feeling of nostalgia. "How about Aureolin?"

Noticing the feelings of his companion, Ember asked, _'Does it mean anything to you?'_

"Not that I can remember. Just a faint feeling of nostalgia alongside it." He answered, "I think it fits."

' _Well then,'_ Ember said, _'ready to enter Remnant and beat the living crap out of the ones that disturb the balance!?'_

"You know, even if you normally sound ominous and wise, you can be quite childish when you want to." Said Onyx with a chuckle.

Ember simply sent a mental image of a shrug while he proceeded towards the door _'Remnant, here we go.'_ They thought at the same time, as Onyx pushed the doors open and the blinding sunlight hit him in full force.

* * *

 **A.N: here you have the types of speech that will be appearing through out the story. Not all are used in this chapter, but will appear in the future. I also don't have a schedule to upload and I have exams soon(ugh) so I'll be posting and writing when I have time. I alredy have up to ch 4 so if I can't write I'll at least have something to post. Have a great day!**

"Hello there": normal speech

 _'Hello there'_ : inner conversation/thoughts

 _Hello_ _there_ **:** flashback/memories

 **"Hello there"** : Onyx using the darkness

 _"Hello there"_ : Ember speaking through Onyx, written stuff


	4. Chapter II

**A.N: hello again! Enjoy the story and laeve a review.**

 **Discalimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter II**

 **Of new Worlds and new Beginnings**

' _Hey, look on the bright side,'_ said Ember, _'at least were out of the Kiln, right?'_ The attempt to cheer Onyx up didn't work, as the knight sighed, sheathed his sword and prepared to climb up another ruined tower, just like the Kiln.

When he opened the door, they found themselves in a thin and old bridge made out of rock, which connected the exit from where they came to a tower-like structure, or what remained of it. The building extended down into a ravine and upwards until the beginning of the cliffs. The door and the bridge led them to the center of the tower, but the stairs going up were almost completely destroyed, forcing Onyx to use his powers to propel himself up onto the next level.

After a few more jumps, they reached a circular floor with a bridge connecting the tower with more ruins and a forest that could perfectly pass as a sea of green colored leaves. They left the tower and stepped into the ground and rock, surrounded by the rest of the ruins, with the forest in front of them. Before continuing, Onyx turned around and looked towards the tower, an idea in mind. He pulled out another Black Knight Sword and impaled it deep in the ground, just in front of the bridge. He raised his right hand over his heart and spoke a prayer in the name of his brothers. Ember remained in silence until he finished, _'We should find a place to rest and formulate a plan. I also need to let you in on how the people of this world live and their history.'_

As much as he complained, he needed to know this world as much as possible. He stepped into the forest and headed west. After a few minutes of walking, his ears picked a sound: water flowing downwards. He changed directions and walked until he reached a small river going through the forest. _'You didn't use your Aura to improve your hearing. How did you manage to hear the river from so far away?'_ asked Ember.

' _You_ do _realize that my helmet doesn't allow too much on the way of vision, right?'_ He sat down, leaving sword on the ground, but close enough if something happened. Onyx took his helmet off and started drinking. He didn't needed it, but he felt his throat was dry. _'The Black Knights are trained to use every sense in our bodies, to the point that we can 'see' around us in an area without using our eyes. We aren't blind, but we improve our senses to incredible levels. Even without Aura.'_ Ember hummed affirmatively. After a few drinks, Onyx sat there for a while, taking in the sights and sounds the forest provided.

Ember took this time to explain the history of Remnant: from the beginning to the actual times. Onyx learned about the four kingdoms – Vale and Vacuo in Sanus, Mistral in Anima and Atlas in Solitas – and the island of Menagerie, with the latest population being only faunus. Ember explained the Great War that occurred almost 80 years ago and the creation of the Vytal festival and the CCTS. It explained how the students of the four academies reunite in one kingdom and participate in the tournament. Although, when Onyx started learning about the technology he was at a loss and awed at the same time. _'It'll be better if you see it for yourself. I can try to explain it, but it will be easier if the people that know about it show it to you.'_ Finally, he learned about Dust: the most important material and source of energy in Remnant.

Ember told him that they will continue later, as they needed to move before the Grimm found them. Not because they couldn't win, but because they could not waste more time. They moved away from Vale in order to reach a less populated settlement and remain more inconspicuous for now. While dusk fell and night stated to settle, a terrified screech came from within the forest. Without missing a beat, Onyx ran to the source. They found it in a clearing in which the light of day still reached. A small, crying children, cramped in the grass with her back against a tree, surrounded by three wolf-like creatures – beowolves, as Ember had explained – with another four eating the remains of another 2 people. Guts and blood laid all across the clearing, with half of the male's body being devoured by two of these creatures, another one eating his lower half and the organs that came from it. The woman's body was being feasted upon by another of the creatures, this one taller and with more bone-like structures around it's body.

None of them noticed Onyx, too focused on their prey. One of the beowolves jumped towards the girl to finish her, but was caught in mid-air in the back of his neck by Onyx. All the beast turned to him: he had equipped his greatsword and was using his left hand with his shield in his forearm to grab the grimm. Using his strength to crush the beowolf's neck without effort in a loud _snap!_ , he launched it's corpse against the other two and moved to stand between the girl and her attackers.

The one eating the lower half of the dead man charged the knight, but before he could get too close, Onyx swung his weapon downwards, breaking the monster's skull and cutting it in half up to it's hips. The Alpha roared and while the ones under the corpse got up, the other two charged from his right. In a single horizontal swing to that same side, he decapitated both of them. The remaining two and the Alpha run towards him trying to surround Onyx. He waited until the first one attacked. It came from the left, and jumped at him, but Onyx used the tip of his shield and punched it's skull hard enough to crack and break the bone plate on it's face. The second one tried to claw at him from his right, and for his efforts received a sidekick that sent him crushing to a tree, breaking both it and the beowolf's back.

Thinking that his target was distracted, the Alpha jumped to bite the knight's helmet. Onyx simply raised his shield and the Alpha's torso collided with it, while the grimm tried to harm Onyx with it's claws. But the armor was too strong, not even leaving marks or dents. Onyx pushed the Alpha to the other side of the clearing. He then grabbed the one that was still in pain from it's skull being broken and hurled it towards the one lying against the broken tree. Before any of them could untangle themselves from the each other, he reversed the grip on his greatsword by throwing it in the air and then used it like a spear, launching it and impaling both monsters.

The Alpha used that time to recover and moved to attack with it's right paw. Onyx caught it with his left hand and sucker punched it in the face, making it recoil in pain. "You weak," he said as he punched it again, "pathetic," another punch, "disgusting," another, "soulless creatures!" A final hit that put it's back against a tree, dazed. "You prey on the defenseless and innocent. I have seen your kind, time and time again, and hear this," he grabbed it's head with both hands, closing it's mouth while it tried to pry them off, "I will make all of you suffer. I will be in your nightmares, and this time, you will be the ones to experience fear!" Onyx planted a feet on the Alpha's stomach and pulled with his hands. The muffled sounds of pain and the attempts at resistance ceased with the sound of flesh and bone being ripped apart, as the grimm's body disappeared, alongside it's head in Onyx's hands.

Calming himself and picking up his weapon, he noticed the terrified, crying girl looking at him. He didn't know if the look on her blue eyes was of fear, awe or hope, but he knew the child couldn't stay here. Luckily, Ember had a plan, _'I can interact with someone's soul if you touch them. I will calm her down and see in her memories where she lives. Maybe she has someone that can take care of her.'_ Onyx complied and strode calmly towards the girl and positioned himself between her and the massacre of the ones he supposed where her family. He put his weapon on his back and kneeled in front of the child. She tried to back away from the tall, black, armored warrior, but relaxed a little bit when he extended a hand towards of her. She reached out slowly and placed her hand in the gauntlet. Instead of a cold, metallic feeling, the armor was warm and comfortable to the touch. Onyx's Aura flared for a moment, moving towards the child and healing her wounds, before Ember put her to sleep.

' _What did you do?'_ asked Onyx, watching the calmed and resting child sat against the tree.

' _I cured her and made her sleep. She needed it.'_ Said Ember. _'And before you ask, I know where her village is. It's less than three kilometers to the south. It's well defended and is quite prosperous, but she doesn't have anybody else than her parents, and, well, you already saw their state.'_

Picking up the small child in his left arm, he cradled her against his chestplate. The girl hummed and smiled while snuggling closer to him. Giving a good look to the child in his arms, he denoted the small extra pair of eyes, now closed. They were nothing more than two small orbs diagonally over her main pair of eyes. Onyx had seen them open before when he approached her, but he thought that they were just a couple of jewels glued to her forehead as something cultural. The rest of her seemed pretty normal: beautiful blonde hair and a small, round and quite cute face.

' _I suggest we take her to her hometown and see if someone can look after her. And we could also search for a map of the zone while we rest and plan.'_ Suggested Ember

He walked calmly towards the town while still looking at the child. Without a family she wouldn't be able to survive unless someone took her in. He'll have to make sure that whoever adopts her knows how to take care of a 10 year old.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the upper part of Beacon's tower, a man with white hair is sitting at his desk, with a cup of coffee in his hand, watching a recording in the holographic screen in his desk. Through his glasses he watches the recordings of his cameras in the Emerald Forest, while the sound of the clockwork mechanism in his office ticks in a calm demeanor.

"Hmm…" He hums as the recording repeats itself for the tenth time. The other person in the office, a blonde woman, sighs, losing her patience. She wears a long-sleeved, pleated top with a white keyhole. Her lower body is covered by a black high-waisted pencil skirt with bronze buttons and black-brown stockings, combined with black boots. The short cape that she wears is black on the outside while colored purple on the inside.

The woman pushes her glasses up her nose towards her emerald eyes, while she holds her crop on her other hand. Walking towards the man on the desk, she speaks "Ozpin, while I understand the usefulness of those cameras during initiation, I fail to see what has caught your attention so that you have watched the video ten times."

The man, Ozpin, raises his head and beckons the woman. "Come see for yourself, Glynda. I'm sure you'll find this discovery as interesting as I have."

Glynda rounded the table and watched the video as it started again. The first part was horrendous, as it showed a father and a mother butchered while returning to their town. When it appeared that the small girl would suffer the same fate, a tall and black figure killed the grimm that was about to end her life. From that point on, the armored figure massacred the entire pack alongside the Alpha, in feat of strength and power, as if the dark creatures were nothing more than training dummies.

The recording ended with the figure healing the small child, picking her in her arms and walking away. "You are right, it is quite impressive," said Glynda, "but it also raises a lot of questions." Who was this person? What was that armor that they were wearing? Are they friend or foe? Those were some of them going through her mind.

"Indeed." Answered Ozpin, as he sipped on his coffee and closed the video, "And I believe that he is the only one that has the answers to them."

"What makes you think he will even care to listen to us? He might have helped that child simply because the grimm were in his way."

"I don't think so. The anger and violence with which he killed the Alpha show _something_ more than just killing for the sake of convenience. What, we can only guess." He opened his message system and choose the number of a dusty old crow.

"Are you going to send Qrow to investigate him?" Asked Glynda at the sight of the number.

"With the dark times that we are facing we need all the allies we can gather." Said Ozpin, "I highly doubt he is aligned with _her_ , but if we can't have him as an ally, the least we can do is have him tracked and watched in case anything occurs."

Glynda nodded and watched as the Headmaster of Beacon Academy wrote the message. Ozpin, on the other hand, wandered if- no, _how_ this was going to affect the times to come. Giving one final look to the armored man, he called Glynda before she left. "Glynda," the woman turned before entering the elevator, "send a copy of the video to Oobleck and see if he finds anything related to our mysterious friend or his choice of clothing." He finished with a smirk hidden by his cup as he drank from it.

Glynda nodded and entered the elevator, leaving the Headmaster alone in his office. He raised from his chair, picked up his cane and turned to see the nigh fall over Beacon and Vale.

* * *

They were arriving at the village after a short walk, when something came to the mind of Onyx. _'I do not think their language is the same as mine. I don't know if we will be able to talk to them,'_ he looked down to the small faunus in his arms, still sleeping, _'and I doubt she will be of much help. I rather not force her to remember what she has seen.'_

' _Don't worry. When we arrive, touch one of the villagers or guards and I will use my powers to connect with their memories and give you the ability to speak like them.'_ Ember answered.

Before they could talk any further, they reached the end of the forest and the walls and gates of the town. The walls were made out of solid rock, without a crack, and several armed guards posted atop of them. They were accompanied by some turrets and spotlights to cover the area at night. The enormous doors were made out of wood instead, but were heavily reinforce with metal. A trail of ground lead from them to the forest, cutting through trees and grass forming a clear path for people and vehicles.

When they approached the doors, a guard called them, "Hey, you down there! What are you doing outside at this hours? The Grimm will kill you if you aren't careful." He looked more closely at the black figure. "And what's with the armor? Are you a hunter?"

Before he could continue, another guard came. "Is it them, Daff?"

The first guard shaked his head and pointed down to the figure, "I'm sorry Elec, but no. It's just a weirdo or a hunter with a strange armor and a gigantic sword, but you know how hunters are, always compensating for something."

While his companion chuckled, Elec leaned closer, "What is he carrying? I can't see it with the shield."

Both guards directed their attention towards him and turned a light over him. _'They want to know what you are carrying, Onyx.'_ Said Ember.

Onyx looked down at the small child and then turned his arm outwards to let the two humans see her. When they saw the child, both of them gasped and went wide-eyed. "By the Brother Gods…"

"Open the gates! Open them now!" Yelled Elec.

The mechanism was put into function and the doors slowly opened, letting Onyx and the child in. The two guards of the wall quickly reached them after the doors had closed. When they were closer, they were surprised once again by the height of the man carrying the girl and his equipment. The armor was as black as night, with beautiful gold trimmings all around it. Two horns rested over the helm, which didn't allow them to see his face at all, even with the lights. It looked like an evil knight from old legends and fairy tales, something fear-inspiring. The only thing that changed that image was the small faunus sleeping calmly, hugging his chest, as if he was her protector.

Onyx sheathed his sword when the guards came closer. "By the Brothers, it's Cyane!" Said Elec.

"What happened? Where are her parents?" Asked Daff, a little bit more cautious of the giant stranger than his friend, but still leaning close to Cyane.

Onyx didn't understand what they were saying, but the looks of worry in their faces were universal. The second one, a man with a long beard and a round frame came after the younger, fitter person. Reaching in a swift motion with his unoccupied hand to his shoulder, he flared his Aura and let Ember do the job. A couple of seconds was all it took for it to take the memories that Onyx needed to learn the language, but out of the sheer power of Ember, the man's Aura was destroyed and he fainted when Onyx retracted his hand.

Seeing the scene play in front of him, Elec ran towards his friend before he hit the ground, catching him. "What the fuck!? What the hell are you doing!?"

Onyx took a moment to compose himself and search for the right words. After a few moments, he spoke, "My apologies, but I needed to enter his memories to learn your language, as I was unfamiliar with it. He will be fine after resting."

"Is that your semblance?" Asked Elec.

"Yes." Lied Onyx. He was good with words, but the helmet helped a long way in hiding his face. Not that he needed it, but it didn't let out anything when he lied. "I know this is the village of this child," he said, gesturing towards the small figure in his arms "and I came in order to bring her back and find a place to rest, if possible."

Calming himself down, Elec let his partner down and moved towards Onyx. "Yeah, her name is Cyane Mika, she's one of the few faunus in here, and this is the town of Tealle." He said, "But anyways, what happened? Where are her parents?"

Onyx shaked his head, "Grimm. A pack of beowolves that I dispatched, but both of them were already dead." He said coldly.

"Oh, gods. Poor kid..." Elec said with a saddened face. "They were good friends…" After a few seconds of silence he spoke again. "She doesn't have anyone." He seemed to be in thought for a moment before he let out his thoughts again. "You didn't told us your name. I'm Elec and the poor fool in the ground is named Daff." He said, pointing with his thumb backwards towards the fainted man.

"My name is Onyx Aureolin." Said the Black Knight, with a clear but imposing voice.

"Onyx, eh?" He said, while looking at Cyane. "How about a deal? You said you needed a place to rest and she needs someone to take care of her. You can spend the night with her in her house and look after her until tomorrow. Then, we will take her to the Major and see what to do with her. This way she has someone with her for the night and you have a place to rest for free." He paused for a second looked at the darkness inside the helmet of Onyx. "I would do it myself, but I have guard duty and I can't keep her out here all night, as you can understand."

He was ready to complain, but the idea didn't sound so bad. The girl seemed to have a liking for him and he would be lying if he said that she hadn't grown a little into him. _'Plus, we don't have any lien. We can't pay an inn.'_ Ember also made a good point.

"Very well, I accept. But I won't stay more than one night here. After tonight, you must find someone that will take good care of Cyane." Said with a voice that left no room to argue or doubt.

The young man nodded guided them to the girl's house after another guard took care of Daff. It was close to the center of the big town. It was a robust and cozy wood house, of two floors and with a design equal to the rest of the square. "Here it is." Said Elec. He handed Onyx the extra keys that were under the rug and waved them his goodbyes.

It was hard to enter the house, as it's door was too small for him. After entering, he examined the house from inside. The stairs that lead to the second floor where in front of the entrance at his right side. Besides the stairs a hallway that led to some crystal panels that made the entrance to the backyard. To his left, the wall had a frame that lead to the living room. The room had a window that showed the street in front of the house with pure white curtains. In the center of wall contrary to the entrance to the room was a chimney with some photos and what Ember had told him was a TV – pretty big one, by the way – over it. On the wall closer to the backyard was another window and an elegant table with chairs. The sofa in front of the chimney close to the wall of the hallway completed the look of a cozy but open family space. A last entrance to the room on the other side led back to the hallway.

The kitchen was on the other side of the house. It was quite big and had mirrored entrances to the living room. Ember told him that it was equipped with everything: fridge, oven, sink, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, several cupboards with food and plates, drawers with silverware and a small window that he supposed gave light during the day. Onyx didn't understand half of the machines yet, but with Ember guiding him he wouldn't have too much trouble. The upper floor had four rooms: two complete and perfectly clean bathrooms at either side of the end of the stairs and the room of Cyane in front of the main one, the one of her parents. The main dorm had a big double bed, with a couple of nightstands and a small walk-in closet beside to a second entrance to the bathroom at the other side of the room.

He entered the room of Cyane just as she began to move in his arm. He laid her in her bed and tucked her in before looking around the room. It had some drawings on the wall along a poster of Beacon Academy. Several books of fairy tales and bedtime stories, alongside some others that talked about hunters and huntresses. They seemed a little too much for the girl, but then again, Onyx didn't know how clever she was or what she liked. Some boxes with toys, mainly hunter-like weapons and a couple of hunter costumes, were under the only window in the room. A table was between the bathroom door and the closet.

Onyx closed the curtains and prepared to leave, until a voice stopped him at the door. "Wait…" The knight turned and saw the faunus looking him with four eyes. The human ones were bright blue, but the other ones were completely red without pupils. _'What type of faunus is she, Ember?'_ He asked while he moved forward kneeled with one leg and asked with a warm voice, "Yes, small one?"

' _A spider faunus.'_ Answered Ember before continuing, _'I saw her memories. She is terrified, Onyx, and probably traumatized. I saw that her mother made her some sweets if she was feeling down after dinner. I can guide you while you make dinner and the sweets, if you want.'_

"I-I'm hungry." She said in a small voice.

Onyx chuckled. _'Yes, if it's not much to ask for, Ember'_ He extended his hand towards her and spoke, "Of course. Why don't we go downstairs and we search for something that you like, hmm?"

Cyane looked at the giant armored hand before putting her own on it and giving a weak smile and a nod. Onyx picked her up like how he had been carrying her before and exited the room. While slowly moving towards the kitchen, he changed into a serious and almost angry demeanor under the helmet and asked, _'Ember, does this mistress of the Grimm have a name or something similar?'_

The little flame also changed it's demeanor to a more serious one, _'Yes, and she also has people serving her.'_ Answered Ember, _'Her name is…'_

'… _**Salem**_ _.'_

* * *

 **A.N: this the largest chapter until now and I've realized that they have grown progresively larger. I still don't have a limit on words and base the lenght of the chapters on what I think will be enjoyable without being too long. On the other hand, we are moving forward and not even I can wait for Onyx to meet the cast. I will try to portrait them as close to canon at posible, but I wil apologize now in case they turn out to be somewhat diferent. As for the timeline, we are before the start of the series, by 5 years give or take. I'll speed things up in a few chapters, don't worry. Anyway, I hoped you enjoy this chapter. Have a great day!**


	5. Chapter III

**A.N: hello there! As I advance with the story I will be revising the older chapters for any mistakes in the plot. There are still some powers that Onyx hasn't discovered and many enemies that will suffer them, so stay tuned.**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter III**

 **Mysteries, secrets and hate**

The machines and technology of this Age were something that would have been almost impossible to adapt to without Ember, but with it's help, Onyx was able to cook something decent for Cyane and make her some chocolate cookies as desert. He brought the food to the living room table and seated in front of Cyane. He watched as the child devoured the food with pleasure with a small smile. In the meantime, he rose from his seat and used his newly acquired pyromancy powers to light a fire in the chimney.

He left his shield and greatsword at the chimney's side and sat back in front of Cyane, before taking his helmet off. The chairs were a little bit too small, but he didn't mind. Instead, he looked towards the fire and started conversing with Ember, _'I've been meaning to ask…'_ he begun, getting the attention of the little flame, _'how do you know so much about this world and it's technology if you have been in the Kiln during all this time?'_

Ember chuckled, _'I was wondering when you were going to ask.'_ It continued a second later, _'I am in connection with every being that has a soul in this Age, and I could choose to see and hear what they do. I can sense the more powerful Auras and I can learn what they hide. There are a few people, the ones that serve under Salem, that have grown too close to the dark for me to see through them. And then there are others that, even in the light, hide secrets from the rest of the world. If we meet them,_ do not _trust them.'_

Onyx nodded in response. That was as good as an answer as any, and he wasn't going to complain if it helped them achieve their objective. He turned back to the child to see that she was still eating from her plate.

From his head, the voice of Ember sounded again, _'I would like to request something from you, though I will understand if you deny me this request. I'm already asking too much.'_

' _Tell me what it is.'_ Said Onyx, _'I trust you, and you haven't failed me, nor have you lied to me, and I won't say no or yes until I hear it.'_

' _Thank you, Onyx.'_ Ember searched for the right words for a moment before speaking again, _'My request is simple but difficult at the same time: I would like you to keep bloodshed of human and faunus to a minimum. I understand that many of the ones that will be opposing us won't change and that they must be taken out from our way, but there are others that I think I could bring to our cause.'_

' _We need as many allies and friends as we can get.'_ Onyx agreed, _'What were you planning, anyway?'_

' _I can make contact with the souls of the people you touch, as you have already seen.'_ When Onyx nodded, it continued, _'If I were able to 'speak' to their souls, I could convince them of their mistakes and make them join us. If they are hurt or broken like Cyane, I can sooth them and make the idea of our cause more appealing to them.'_ Sensing that Onyx was going to complain, Ember spoke one last time, _'I'm not going to make you spare any and every enemy we encounter, as we do not need an army or someone who is not strong enough to help us. I will tell you the ones that could help us if you want.'_

Onyx thought of it for a moment. A squad of people that would help him didn't sound so bad, and he could still take care of the ones who tried to stop them. _'Fine. If I have the chance, I will let you talk to them. The rest, though, will be taken out of our path, one way of another.'_

' _That is all I could ask for.'_ Ember continued, _'They are still my creations and I hold love to most of them, as if they were my children. And speaking of children…'_

Onyx returned his gaze towards Cyane, who had finished the dinner and was going through the cookies, but was looking at the knight's face all the time. Onyx smiled and asked, "Is there something wrong, small one?"

The girl swallowed her cookie and pouted, "I am not small!" She paused for a moment and turned her expression down in what looked like embarrassment. "You're human…"

Onyx tilted his head to the side with a confused expression, "Not completely. And I will stop calling you that if you so wish. It's there a problem?"

The girl quickly looked back at the knight with a smile, "Then you are a spirit!" Onyx was surprised with the sudden reaction of the child. Cyane walked up to him and showed him a small pendant hidden in her pocket, "My mother gave this to me before we left the village. She said that it brings good luck and that the spirits within in protect the one that has it." She looked down at the pendant and hold it close to her chest.

Seeing she was in the verge of tears, Onyx picked her up, getting a small 'Eep!' in response, and put her on his lap. She looked up to him, "I'm not a spirit, small one. I'm not a faunus or a human either. I'm… something different, something more. But I do have something similar to a spirit inside of me."

She crossed her arms and looked away, "Stop calling me 'small one'. I'm not small, and my name Cyane and I'm very proud of it, thank you very much." After Onyx stopped laughing at her little tantrum, she turned back to him and spoke in a small voice, "But I think I know what you mean. I saw it when I hold your hand: a small fire that came from your body. Was that what you were talking about?"

Before he could answer, Ember spoke, _'I can't link her to me as I did with you, her body wouldn't withstand it, but I can connect her to me so she can hear me speak just as you do.'_

"I think I it's better if I show you." He said as he reached towards her and connected their souls. After a few seconds, her Aura was activated, flashing a light blue color, and linking her to Ember.

' _Hello, Cyane. It's good to finally be able to talk to you. I'm Ember.'_ Said Ember, as the girl looked at her Aura being activated for the first time, and then at her surroundings searching for the voice.

She looked towards Oryx, and when he smiled, she gasped, "You do have a spirit inside of you! I thought they were a legend." She paused for a moment, thinking, "Wait… if I can hear you, are you in my head!? And you have activated my Aura! Ooooh, that's so cool! Do you have more powers!? What are they!? Do you launch spells or fireballs or, or, or…" She changed to a saddened look, "Ca-can you bring people back, if they died?" She asked, with distress clear in her voice as she looked back at her pendant.

Onyx hugged her and stoke her hair while Ember spoke, _'I'm afraid I can't bring people back from the dead. I'm sorry."_ She was holding back her tears when it talked again, _'But don't worry. Tomorrow we'll take to the Mayor and find you someone that takes care of you.'_

"But I don't want to have other people take care of me!" She looked back to Onyx and continued, "And mom and dad always said the Mayor wasn't a good person. Not with faunus, at least…"

Onyx sighed and decided to let the conversation drop before changing the subject, "We'll figure that tomorrow. For now, you need a bath, and then, is time to sleep."

"Ugh, fineeee..." She said with a false pout, "But I need help with my faunus trait, I can't reach well." Onyx gave her a confused look before shrugging and following her to one of the bathrooms. While Ember guided him to prepare the bathtub, she undressed. When the bathtub was full with water and bubbles, she stepped in and Onyx took off his gauntlets and reached for a sponge. He almost dropped it out of the shock: in the girl's back, four small spider legs stretched from being hidden under the shirt and clothes for so long. They were clearly not completely developed as they didn't reach longer than her back. Two pointed diagonally upwards, clearly made to reach over the shoulders at maturity, while the other two seemed to be growing towards her hips. The four of them protruded from the center of her back, each had two joints and seemed to have small hairs coming out of the black appendages.

' _I did told you she was half spider.'_ Said Ember only to Onyx. He rolled his eyes and started washing them with care. Honestly, compared with the demonic abominations of Izalith, he was just surprised by the sudden look of the extra legs. Even for a child, they were strong and seemed pretty resilient. They finished the bath, throwed the tattered and ripped clothes to the trash and dressed her in a small pajamas.

He tucked her into bed after getting his gauntlets back. When she was in her bed, he sat by her side. "Thank you…" she muttered, "You saved me and brought me back home, even if you couldn't save my parents. You even unlocked my Aura through a _spirit_. It sound like one of my books." Onyx smiled and, after a moment, Cyane sat up on her bed and hugged him. He was surprised for an instant, but hugged back after a moment, "Thank you."

After she calmed down, he sat up, turned off the light and was about to exit the room when he heard her whisper, "I wish you were the one to take care of me…" Onyx straightened for a second but didn't look back. He wouldn't have been able to hear it if he didn't had as good hearing as he did.

During the rest of the night, he and Ember formulated a plan for the close future: tomorrow, after they found someone to take care of Cyane, they would get transport to Vale, and more specifically, Beacon. Ember had told him that there they will find information about the Maidens: women with great powers that could aid them in their fight against Salem. Furthermore, they needed to keep Beacon's Headmaster, Ozpin, out of their way. As Ember had said, he and his inner circle hid too many secrets and weren't willing to act. To top it all off, Ember sensed an Aura with a strange power in Patch, the island close to Vale. If it could access that soul directly, they may be able to use those powers against Salem.

* * *

Onyx was at the limit of his patience. The kid had been wrong when she said the Mayor was not a 'good man'. No, what he was is an extreme racist and a bigoted idiot. They had come with Elec in the morning to the town hall. It was a building big enough to be recognized, but it was nothing too excessive. The inside was clean and ordered, with a receptionist and a few people here and there. They were guided to an office in the second floor with a label that read 'Mayor Nean Vance'. The man himself was round with a shaved beard and a very unfriendly look in a relatively old face.

When they entered with Cyane, his face changed into an even angrier look if possible. It turned worse when they stated the reason of the visit. Onyx had let Elec explain until they needed his version of the story. Mayor Vance had been giving excuses and complaining that they didn't have enough resources to take care of a kid. When that didn't dissuaded Onyx or Elec, he said that nobody wanted to adopt in the town and that the orphanage was over it's capacity.

"Let me get this straight: you," he said pointing towards Onyx, "a stranger, comes into _my_ town with a faun- a child and starts making demands that we use our lien and resources, which are on their limits, to take care of that thi- of said child."

Onyx frowned under his helmet, "Cyane already _lived_ here before I rescued her. It's your responsibility as leader of this town to take care of _all_ of your people." He pointed at the small faunus hiding behind his leg before continuing, "You failed in your task, as prove the corpses of her parents. The least you can do is make sure she is taken care of." Onyx kept his voice calm while he looked at the man at the other side of the desk with a glare that could make a demon piss itself, if it wasn't for the helmet covering his head and shrouding his face in darkness even now.

The man rose angrily from his chair, "Don't you dare give me lessons, you freak! I was leader of a squad before I retired and formed a family in this town. So if anyone here knows about leadership, that's me." A contest of glares between the two left the room cold and uncomfortable. The Mayor relented after a few long seconds, as he sat down and spoke again, "Get out of my office and take the faunus with you. I don't care what happens to her, but I want you" he pointed at Onyx, "out of Tealle by tomorrow, or I will imprison you."

Elec sighed and gestured towards the door, but before Onyx reached it, the Mayor spoke again, in a voice that that all in the room could hear, "You should have let her die with the rest of those anim- arg!"

The level of bullshit Onyx could take was topped off.

Before Vance could finish the thought, Onyx gripped him by the neck, slowly strangling the Mayor. His Aura flared, trying to protect him from the enormous metal hand that was about to crush his windpipe. In his burst of anger, Onyx made an interesting discovery about Auras while strangling the racist, bigoted idiot of a Mayor: if you strangle someone, the Aura of the victim will try to protect the body from the external damage while attempting to keep the windpipe open to keep the passage of air intact. What's more is that the victim will slowly lose focus and the grip on consciousness will fade the less air entered their lungs. Add all that to the fear produced by the situation – and in this case, the being strangling the victim – and you have a way of quickly and painfully break someone's Aura.

But before he could finish his little… experiment, he was brought back to reality by a small body hugging his leg, and looking down to it, he saw the face of Cyane looking back at him, "Please, stop! He's not worth it, please!" Her pleading face on the verge of tears flashed away the hate and he relaxed, letting the Mayor fall to the ground, his Aura almost completely depleted and gasping for air.

He turned to the door, "I'll leave tomorrow, because if I stay any longer you will regret having angered me." Onyx turned to Elec, who simply gave him a nod, and walked through the door. Looking at Cyane while they walked to the entrance, he asked Elec to give the two a moment. Elec agreed and left the two alone I the hallway. Onyx turned and kneeled on one leg in front of the child. He spoke, "I'm sorry you had to see that, but I couldn't let him talk like that about the faunus, even less about you or your family. I'm sorry if I scared you, lit- Cyane."

The girl shook her head, "No, I understand. It's just that… it's just that I didn't want him to die." She looked up from the floor to his face with an angry look, "Ember is right, he's a jerk but he didn't deserve to die."

"Wait, when did Ember said that about him?" He shook his head, "No, better question. Ember why are you teaching her swear words?"

The flame laughed nervously, _'I may or may not have said that while he was whining about Cyane… and I also may or may not have forgot she could hear me now and said it without cutting our link so she couldn't hear it.'_

Onyx sighed while Cyan giggled, but Ember continued only for him, _'She officially has nowhere to go. What do we do about her?'_

Cyane stopped her giggling and smiled at Onyx while he ruffled her hair, and spoke to Ember, _'We could take her with us, but our mission is too dangerous, even if she has her Aura and I train her. Furthermore, we are going to kill people, and that could bring back the memories of her family.'_

Before any of them could make a decision, Cyane spoke up, "Hey, Onyx?" The knight shifted his attention to her, "I have nowhere to live and the Mayor doesn't want me here. I know you must be in some kind of important mission, if not you wouldn't be with someone as powerful as Ember, and I now it must be super dangerous and that you may have to hurt people but…" She spoke with less and less voice at every word until the last part couldn't be heard.

Onyx was impressed she was clever enough to figure that, but didn't understood the last part, as it was more muttering than speaking, "What did you say?"

She suddenly hugged him with enough force and surprise that he almost fell backwards, "I want to go with you!" she screamed into his chest, "I know I'm child but I promise that I'll be careful, and I'll behave and do whatever you say and, and, and…" She stopped for a second, tears flowing through her cheeks, coming only from her human eyes, "Please, I don't want be alone…"

' _It's your choice, Onyx, but'_ began Ember, _'if we take her to Vale, the safest place for her it's with us.'_

Onyx though for a moment while hugging the faunus. While Ember was right and she had no home left here, he didn't know what dangers they will be facing, and if their enemies learned about her, they may user Cyane against him whether she was with him or not. That thought made his anger spike: they had been seen together already and, if someone asked, it wouldn't be too hard to learn about her.

With the decision taken, he stopped hugging her and called her name, "Cyane…"

She didn't stop crying and her answer came somewhat muffled, "I'll do anything, please…"

He softly picked her head up, "Cyane…" Her face showed the distress and sadness at the thought of being abandoned. He cleaned her tears with his gauntlets and continued, "We are not going to leave you, okay? We have decided that you will be safer with us for now than alone here in the town."

Her face lightened with hope and she smiled while opening her eyes completely, "That does mean I'm going with you both?"

"Yes." Onyx answered, and stopped her from hugging him again or shouting putting a finger up in front of her face. With a serious tone, he continued, "But, we are going to be in grave danger and your life will be on the line. You will do as we say and I will train you so you can survive. Any slip or mistake may cost your life or someone else's. I will protect you, but I may not always be there with you, do you understand?" She gave a nod to every statement and looked up to him as if waiting for something. Smiling, Onyx wrapped her in his arms, "Good. Be on your best behavior, alright?" She nodded again and stayed there for a moment.

Before she let go, Onyx spoke in an almost furious tone, "It's not nice to spy on someone. There may be consequences if you are caught." She let him go and shot him a confused look. He turned around and looked at the frame of an open door that led to an office. Bringing out his Black Knight Sword from the endless pouch, he pointed it at said frame, "Especially if I am the one that catches you."

A tall man appeared from the office. He wore a gray dress shirt with a long tail, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. A tattered white and red cloak over a big sword on his hip finished his look. He had red eyes and black, spiky hair. On one hand he carried a grey flask. He smelled like alcohol from miles away. "I'm impressed." He said, "People don't usually notice an old bird like me."

Onyx simply stared at him for a minute, but Cyane knew that the silence was because of Ember talking to him. "What do you want?"

The man just shrugged, "A friend of mine told me to look into some info about a 'giant man wearing black armor'. You wouldn't happen to know anyone that meets that description, right?" He chuckled as he leaned on the wall and took a drink from his flask.

Onyx let his sword down, but kept himself ready for precaution, "And what does this friend of yours want with that person?"

"Only to talk to him. If you accept, just know there is a bullhead ready to take you to Vale tomorrow." He looked at Cyane, "You shouldn't keep the kid, if you ask me. Is a dangerous world." At those words, Onyx gripped his weapon and shield even tighter. Seeing this, the man raised a hand defensively, "Relax. That is not a threat, just a warning."

Onyx waited a moment, hearing what Ember was saying. Suddenly, a low, dark chuckle scaped his lips, "Right, we don't want anything to happen to our loved ones." He raised his head back at the man as he started drinking, "Because it would be a shame if something were to happen to _Ruby_ or _Yang_ , right…, _Qrow_?"

The man almost choked on his alcohol and started coughing. Meanwhile, Onyx picked Cyane up and hoisted her up to his shoulder, were she grabbed it's helmet's left horn. Passing in front of Qrow while he composed himself, he spoke again, "Relax." He said in a dark tone, "It's not a threat, just a warning." Stepping closer to the stairs, Onyx turned his head a little to his back, "About that bullhead of yours…" he said as Qrow straightened himself from the wall, glaring daggers at Onyx, "Have it prepared. I'm taking Ozpin's offer to talk face to… helmet."

With those last words, he started walking down the stairs, and Qrow caught the little spider faunus sticking her tongue out at him. After a few seconds, he sighted, took another drink from the alcohol in the flask and made his way to the exit. When he walked outside, he picked his scroll and dialed a number. In the second tone it picked up, "Hey, Oz. About the target…"

* * *

 **A.N: I have a few ideas of where I want this story to get to, at least until volume 3. I'm also going to take somethings from other Dark Souls games, so don't be surprised if somethings from the 2nd and 3rd installment apear later on. I'm open to ideas, tough. I want people to have a part in this story, and while I have some other OCs planned, I will try to let you send me your own. Maybe in the next chapter I'll let you people send me to them if I post the rules. Have a great day!**


	6. Chapter IV

**A.N: hello there! So, Cyane recieved mixed welcome. That's ok, I understand. As I said in the beggining, I'm new to this. If some people don't like a character that's completely fair. I will say though, that Onyx is NOT going to be a foster parent. He is going to train her to fight as a companion. We are 5 years before the first volume, and teenagers in this world get weapons of mass destruction, so why not Cyane?**

 **Anyway, today you get not 1, but 2 chapters. Yay! The reasons are varied: I'm on exams and don't know when I'll have time to write, and because I want you to participate in this story, so in the naxt chapter there will be a sheet with how to send me your OC's. If I like them, they may become permanent or recurrent in the story. I'll explain more in the next chapter. Have fun!**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter IV**

 **Fangs in the dark**

"Um… Onyx?" Cyane tried to get the knight's attention while going back home from the Mayor's office. She was perched on his left shoulder. Every villager watched in awe and fear the Black Knight with the child, but none of the pair cared. The sun was high in the sky but thanks to Ember he didn't feel hot inside his armor.

' _Is something wrong, Cyane?'_ the answer came from Ember instead, _'I can sense you are worried.'_

"What you said back there..." she said as Onyx turned his head to look at her, tilting his head as if asking what she was referring to, " You talked about two people, saying it wasn't a threat, but it seemed as if you were considering harming them."

Onyx sighted, "It's… complicated, Cyane." He kept walking while talking, "I wasn't going to hurt anybody. By the Abyss, I don't even know who they are, just that Ember told me their names." He rounded a corner before continuing, "That person was dangerous and I lied to get away from him. I know we're going to see him again in the future, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with him. I said that because I knew he would let us go if I did."

"Oh, okay…" She wasn't too convinced with the answer. They both kept walking in silence, with the sounds of the busy village. For a while the only sounds that interrupted their slow walk were the cars and people in the streets. For a town, it was quite big, with several wide streets and even more alleys, apart from the normal streets.

He looked at the 10 year old on his shoulder. She was looking at the ground, in thought or in disappointment, he didn't know. Stepping into an empty alley, Onyx pulled her down in her feet and spoke, "Listen, I know that isn't the answer you wanted but this world is dangerous. Sometimes, we've got to do things we don't like to move forward." He stopped looking at her face, "Cyane, make no mistake, I _will_ have to hurt and kill people to save this world, but I will keep deaths to the least amount possible and I will _not_ kill innocents. And I promise you that if _**anyone**_ dares to hurt you, I will not stop until they die." She was about to say something but he stopped her, "I know it sounds cruel but the ones that we face mean the doom of all things if they win."

"I know!" She shouted, "I know, I just…" She sighed and look back up to him, "I always liked hunters and huntresses because they protect people, mainly from the Grimm, but that doesn't mean I don't know that there are people that are just as bad as the Grimm or worse. I just wished there was another way that didn't end in fighting or… bloodshed." She let out a small tear and Onyx knew why.

He brought her into a hug which she accepted quickly. After a few moments, they both let go of each other. "Cyane, I'm not a hunter but that doesn't mean I'm heartless. I agreed with Ember to keep the most possible people alive and intend to do so."

' _While that is right, we also know that killing those who serve our enemies is sometimes the only option, as scaring them or making them run away won't solve our problems.'_ Ember continued when it noted that she was paying attention, _'Cyane, Onyx is going to train you to defend yourself and kill if necessary but none of us is ever,_ ever _going to ask you to do so to anyone.'_ She nodded, _'Even if in the future I give you some of my power, that choice is yours and yours alone to make.'_

She smiled, "Thanks." She lowered her head in thought before bringing it back up with a serious face, "If you are going to protect me then… then I will do the same with you, even if that means…" She was brought into a hug before she could finish.

"You are too young to care about that. You still have much to learn and to grow before making that decision." In the middle of the hug, she gasped and stepped back, with her 4 eyes wide open.

"I will have to quit school if I go with you!" She paused and brought one hand under her chin, "Well I was actually homeschooled… but still!" She looked at Onyx with her hands in her hips and a determined look that caught the knight off guard, "You don't expect me to be a famous huntress that can help you without proper knowledge, now do you?" She inched closer with an angry look without hate but that made Onyx raise his arms in a open palmed defensive gesture.

It was after a few seconds that Ember laughed loudly in both their heads, _'Cyane, you do realize that I can teach you everything you need and more. We would just need a few books to help you with the lessons, and I'm sure we can find them in Vale.'_

That made her put her head down and laugh sheepishly. Taking the chance, the knight brought her up back to how she was before in his shoulder, making her laugh and walking towards an ice-cream shop for her. Not knowing himself how this food tasted and finding himself lost in so many flavors, it was Cyane this time the one who recommended her favorite: vanilla and strawberries. The two sat on a table outside, enjoying their food in silence while the people around them watched as the tallest man they had ever seen, clad in terrifying but shining black armor, ate ice-cream in front of a small faunus.

* * *

They spent the rest of the afternoon walking in the town while Cyane showed him her special places. When they reached the house, Cyane sat down to watch her favorite hunter show while Onyx went through the endless pouch, with the help of Ember, to make inventory. While the weapons were in perfect state and powerful, the most interesting items were the rings: some of them he recognized, like the Wolf ring or the Hawk ring, bringing him memories and headaches for brief moments. Others were unknown to him but Ember explained their uses. But most important of all is that they still worked. With such a selection in front of him, he took four: Wolf's ring, Favor's ring, Havel's and a last one called Ring of Steel Protection. His greatsword felt almost like a dagger in terms of weight, making him take few swings and combos alongside the shield to get accustomed. That and, according to Ember, the rest of the rings made him a walking tank. He dind't know what it meant until Ember explained what a tank was, making him nod in understanment.

Looking back inside from the backyard and watching Cyane in the sofa, he separated a few rings and called her outside. When she arrived, he explained what they where going to do. "You have many things to learn, both in combat and out of it. I will be teaching you to fight. I will be demanding and push your limits, but never hesitate to stop me if I hurt you." His voice solemn and clear, making the girl shrink a bit in her place, "When we arrive to Vale, Ember will start teaching you outside of combat and we will develop a schedule so that you reach the level of professional hunters as quickly as possible, do you understand?"

"Will I be applying to Beacon?"

' _I'm afraid not.'_ Said Ember, _'Headmaster Ozpin is not trustworthy and when he learns about us, he will try to use you if you enter the academy. He might even try to put you against both of us.'_

"No, I will never let anyone do that!" She closed her eyes, opening them back a second later, and the 4 of them shining with a determination worthy of a Lord of Cinder, "If you think that going to Beacon is a bad idea, I will trust you. I will become a huntress that you can be proud of."

Both knight and flame smiled at that statement. "Don't worry. We will not work you to death but you will have to put a great effort. For now, here, wear this." He passed her a small green, flower shaped ring: the Chloranthy ring. They explained the rings they now had and what this one did. Taking it, she put it on her left index finger, the ring adjusting magically to her size and feeling a burst of energy like never before. "When the time comes and you have developed a fighting style, I will give you more to aid you in the future."

She nodded, not losing her determination for a second. Then, she lunged at him with a hug, "Thank you. I will keep it safe and make you both proud." She then was lifted up and carried inside, where they sat in front of the TV and stayed there for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

Night had already fallen in the town. Cyane was sleeping comfortably in her bedroom while Onyx watched some news channel in the TV. Before going to sleep, Cyane had packed her most important things while Onyx had taken whatever he thought they were going to need. Seriously, having an endless, weightless bag helped _a lot_ when you needed to move. He wasn't paying to much attention to the screen when Ember spoke, _'Something's wrong.'_ It said, _'There are some people arriving, and not with good intentions.'_

' _Salem?'_ Asked Onyx.

' _No. They are all faunus.'_ They both thought of the same answer, _'The White Fang!'_

Suddenly, an alarm siren sounded throughout the whole town, and Onyx could hear distant sounds of gunfire coming from the walls. He quickly grabbed his weapon and strapped his armor and shield. Before he could exit the house, Cyane called him from above the stairs, "What's happening?" She sounded scared and confused.

' _The White Fang are attacking the village. We don't know why.'_ Answered Ember.

"Stay-ow!" He forgot the doorframe was too small and hit his helmet with it. He lowered his head and stepped outside. "Stay here and don't come out of the house until I'm back. Close the door, windows and curtains, okay?"

She nodded and closed the door behind him. He looked up and saw a couple of bullheads heading towards the town hall. When he noted that the kid had closed everything, he speed up towards the direction of the bullheads. The people in the streets close to him were trying to get inside but there was a lot of panic when he heard an explosion on the wall. He ran from street to street until he reached the main avenue. There he saw the grunts of the White Fang pulling people out from their houses and separating the humans from faunus at the end of the street, in front of the town hall, where more people were surrounded by more armed faunus. He noted that there weren't enough to take over Tealle, so they were here for something else.

The Fang started burning the houses which belonged to humans, including the town hall, but it seemed that they had already pulled out the people inside. The scream of woman being pulled from her family made Onyx rush to them. The two masked faunus never saw him coming. He swatted the head of the one pulling the woman away with the blunt side of his greatsword, breaking his Aura and making him fly to the other side of the street. The other grunt was picked by his head before he could react, dropping the weapon in his hands and trying to separate the armored hand that grabbed his face and was cracking his mask under it. Onyx simply raised his arm and kneeled, bringing the White Fang's head with all his strength towards the ground, knowing he had Aura, knocking him unconscious. He turned towards the father of the family, "Get inside and don't open to anyone." The man nodded and went with his family inside.

Onyx kept moving towards the plaza in front of the town hall, rendering unconscious all the opposition in the way and saving the people they were trying to carry over to the plaza. One of the attackers tried to cut him with a sword before he reached the plaza, only to be picked up by the neck and be strangled by the knight. He was interrupted by a loud noise coming from the plaza. When he turned, he saw that one of the White Fang had shot a man dead in front of his family. "That's what happens to the human scum that resist us! If anybody else moves they die." The faunus brought his gun back up and pointed it towards the family.

' _Onyx, these White Fang are not worth saving.'_ Said Ember, trying to contain the anger in it's voice, _'Stop them, no matter what it takes.'_

Before anybody else made a move, Onyx threw the Fang he was holding in the ground close to the rest of their companions, making them turn towards the sound and regretting looking almost immediately. Before them stood a figure clad in a terrifying black armor with gold trimmings, holding an enormous sword in his hand over his right shoulder and a shield strapped in his left forearm. The figure looked even more threatening with the houses on fire behind him. It resembled a knight brought out from the most monstrous nightmares. The knight dropped his left foot on the neck of their friend and started crushing it. "Most of you don't have Aura." He stated matter of factly. Before he continued, the desperate sounds of the man in the ground ceased with a disgusting _crack!_. "Shame. That means you'll die quickly." The knight lifted his foot and stepped it back on the ground by the side of the dead White Fang.

One of the group standing in front of the figure stepped closer to Onyx and away from the scared and wordless hostages watching the scene play in front of their eyes. The man had a different attire from the rest. His jacket was sleeveless and lacked the hood that the rest wore. His mask covered his entire face, with red markings in over the sleets of the eyes. He grabbed a greatsword from his back. The weapon was white with a barrel in the middle of the blade pointing forward. The man pointed his weapon towards him. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" The man opened his arms in a gesture, "We are the White Fang and we are here to rid this town, Tealle, from it's oppressors and free the faunus in it from the racist idiots that rule it." He said while he pointed behind him, where Onyx recognized the Mayor and what he supposed was his family, all of them close together with the rest of humans. Surprisingly, it was one of the faunus from the town that were brought here which responded.

"We just want to live here in peace!" The woman, a dog faunus hugging close her child, said while looking at the lieutenant, "The Mayor may not like us but we never had troubles here until _you_ came!"

"Shut that traitor up!" Answered one of the White Fang.

"Enough." Onyx said, bringing all the attention back to himself. He lighted his hand on fire and made a move, extending his left arm to that same side. The moment he did that, all the fires around them ceased instantly, making every member of the organization back up a step. "You have twisted an honorable cause into a way of spreading terror. I will not tolerate that." He pointed his shield to the lieutenant, with the fire still in his hand. "I am the Black Knight and you, are nothing but ashes in my way."

Feeling the activated Aura of the man, Onyx brought his powers on his soul. The man started to charge with a war cry at him, but stopped after very few steps, dropping his weapon and clutching his stomach. Suddenly, he erupted in a white fire out of the man himself, as he screamed in pain. He dropped to the ground, trying in vain to suffocate the fire. Nobody dared to move as the burning faunus kept screaming until he died. His corpse and clothes were charred and unrecognizable, and with a swift motion with it's hand, Onyx made the corpse vanish in ashes, as if it was never there. "Don't worry," He said, making the White Fang look at him, "if you are good soldiers, you will follow your leader to wherever he goes."

"Wh-what in the fucking hell are you!?" Said one of the faunus, as all stepped back, raising their weapons.

"I've already told you." Onyx pointed his greatsword at them.

" **I am the Black Knight.** "

With those words, his sword ignited in fire and launched himself at the invaders. The first unlucky faunus was cleaved in half, paralyzed by fear. Another one brought his sword at the knight, only for it to be parried and the poor man to be stabbed in his chest and launched towards one of the bullheads, leaving a splatter of blood and rocking the airship on impact. The Fang with guns or rifles opened fire. To their surprise, their bullets, with or without Dust, did nothing to the giant man or his armor. Reaching quickly to another two attackers, his greatsword separated their heads from their bodies, spilling blood over him and his weapon, even with part of the wounds cauterized by the fire. The fight continued, the three close combat 'specialists' dying almost instantly: two cut in half by the hips, leaving a heap of organs and blood in the ground, while the third lost his left arm and got stabbed in his back.

The results made some shooters stop firing. The knight _should_ be covered in blood and guts, but instead they were slipping of his armor and weapons _completely_ , leaving a pool of blood were he stood. Onyx turned and walked towards one of the bullheads, ignoring the gunfire on his back, and pulled one of the rotors out clean from the ship. Hanging it over his head, he turned again and launched it to his dumbfounded attackers. Three of the poor souls were caught by the flying rotor., not even their Auras stopping the hit for two of them. While the rest recovered from dodging the attack, they were surprised to see that the Black Knight had freed the humans with the help of faunus of the town, making them leave the area of the fight.

"Shit, pull back! Call rescue part- agck!" The White Fang that had ordered the retreat was grabbed by the back of his head and slammed with the strength of a truck in the ground. Without an Aura to take the hit, his head was splashed into bits of brain and bone in the ground. One of his comrades took her scroll out and send a signal to someone. Onyx raised again looking towards the 4 remaining faunus. Two started to run to the remaining bullhead and started the engines to scape from this nightmare. Onyx had changed to his Dragonslayer bow and aimed at the machine as it slowly lifted off the ground. He didn't need to stab the greatbow on the ground thanks to the strength provided by his Aura and Ember. The arrow struck on one of the propellers, making the machine crash in a ball of flames outside of Tealle's walls. To his surprise, another bullhead rushed over him and landed down on the street, where the two remaining enemies ran. The door of the airship opened, revealing a man with a katana wearing a long-sleeved black suit jacket and red designs. A white symbol on the left side over his shoulder clearly made him different from the rest. His jacket had red flame-like accents at the bottom and a strange emblem on the back. He wore long black pants, black shoes and black gloves with more red emblems on them.

To his side was a girl that couldn't be more than 12 years old. Just as her companion had some sort of horns, she showed her heritage to be two black cat ears on top of her head. She wore a black buttoned vest with coattails and a single silver button on the front. Underneath, a white, sleeveless, crop undershirt and white shorts with a zipper on the front of each leg. Low-heeled boots and full black stockings at her ankles. An emblem, visible on the outside of both thighs just below her shorts in white, completed the look.

The girl helped the White Fang climb to the vehicle, not noticing Onyx charging with his greatsword back in hand. _'I can sense the hate from the boy. He won't stop hurting humans in the future. He wants to cause pain, but the girl still believes in their original cause. She hasn't killed anyone. What will you do?'_

Onyx didn't answer as he closed the distance. The faunus with katana started glowing with red in his suit's markings. Before Onyx reached him, his sword shot out, a beam of light going straight to the knight. It impacted on him and in the ground, creating a cloud of dust. The ship raised, the boy smiling at his kill, when suddenly, an enormous metal arrow came from inside the dust, hitting him in his right shoulder and throwing him to the other side of the bullhead, almost impaling him if it wasn't for his Aura. It didn't break his Aura by close, but the pain was great nonetheless. The air from the bullhead dissipated the dust cloud, showing the knight with a bow as tall as him and his armor healing itself from the attack, which didn't reach Onyx's body.

He was reading another arrow when his eyes locked with the ones of the girl with cat ears. She was furious but he noticed the fear in her. He relaxed and stored his bow, letting the group scape. Turning around, he walked back to Cyane's house, helping the people in the way back.

* * *

"You're back! You're back! You're back!" Cyane jumped from the couch towards the door when she heard the familiar sound of metal steps in front of the house. The moment Onyx stepped in he was trapped in a hug from the little faunus at his care. Chuckling, he returned the hug. "I-I did what you told me and stayed inside. I even built a fort of cushions and blankets!"

Onyx raised his head from the hug and looked at the sofa. And there it was, an amalgamation of soft parts all over the living room. "Did you do it because you were afraid?" He asked.

"Maybe at first…" She answer sheepishly, "but then I kept it up because it was cold and I don't want to start a fire if it means that I'll burn the house down. I didn't know how to lit the chimney so I just stayed there and turned the TV on." She said truthfully.

He nodded, as he couldn't feel if it was too cold or hot because of Ember. "Did anyone try to enter?"

She shaked her head, "Nope." She said, making the 'p' longer. "I heard the Grimm but I didn't see them close or inside the village." Onyx had wondered if the Grimm entered the town during the White Fang's assault but the guards were able to stop the ones attracted by the panic and fear.

"Good. It's been a long night, why don't you go to sleep, hmm?" He asked.

"What happened to the White Fang?" She asked with her head down. That question was something he hoped to avoid but he wasn't surprised to hear it.

He sighed. Picking her up and leaving his weapons by the side of the chimney, they both sat on the sofa and surrounded themselves with the blankets. He took his helmet off and looked into her blue eyes. "I had to stop them from hurting the people in the town." He paused for a second, "I even saved that bigoted Mayor. You were right: he didn't deserve to die, he hasn't hurt anyone. If he had, Ember would have told me. But the White Fang were about to execute the humans they had gathered. I couldn't let them."

"You… you killed them, right?" He nodded, but when he was about to speak again, Cyane interrupted him. "It's okay." He was startled by those words, giving her a looked that showed it. She giggled, "I know you don't want me to remember what happened to my parents. That's why you don't want me to know you kill people, but I don't blame you. You saved me from the beowolves and now you have saved the village, so I'm not afraid of you, even if you take other peoples lifes." He stood in silence, looking at her while she continued, "I know that if I'm going to help you I need to get over my parent's deaths. I… I know you are not them, but you are looking after me when nobody else does, and it's going to make your mission more difficult if you have to take care of someone while doing it." She sighed, "It's going to be hard for me to adapt but I will, I promise. You don't have to worry about me if you have to do that again."

Bringing the small child into a hug, he smiled at the determination and will of Cyane. "Thank you for understanding. I will try to make it easier for you."

"It's not a problem, specially if you are fighting the White Fang." She separated for him and looked at his eyes. "They were better before but a few months ago a new leader took control and everything they do now only serves to put the Faunus in a worse position."

"A circle of hate…" At those words, she nodded. The violent acts of the Fang make humans hate and fear the entire species, leading to more racism against the Faunus. This makes the ones that feel oppressed join the White Fang for vengeance under the lie of it being 'justice and equality for all Faunus'.

' _As much as I hate to admit it, you both are right. All of this just leads to deaths and easier prey for the Grimm.'_ All was in silence for a few seconds until Ember cleared it's mental voice. _'Ejem... Onyx is right. It's late and we have to get up soon tomorrow to get the transport Ozpin sent. So it's time to go to bed, Cyane."_

"Can I… can I sleep here with you?" She asked timidly, poking her index fingers together, "I don't want to leave the fort. It took quite a while to make it…"

Onyx and Ember chuckled and the knight nodded. The small spider faunus fell asleep soon after, and Onyx let his body do the same. He wasn't tired at all but he decided to take that pleasure nonetheless, with the promise of Ember waking them up in the morning.

* * *

 **A.N: I have decided to also answer the rewievs. I had already seen them, but I didn't feel the need to do this until now. So here we go:**

 **Gray28wolf08: I see what you mean, but you must understand that I have NOTHING to work with in terms of personality. My idea is someone brutal in battle but relatively friendly outside or it. That doesn't mean he is trying to make friends with everyone.**

 **ObscureAbsurdity: I'll say it again: I'm not a proffesional in any way and it was my first attempt at writting a child. It may also not be the most original story, but I'm trying to create a best-seller, I'm just posting a story for people to enjoy. If someone doesn't like how it's going I'm not going to be mad, I just hope that in the future chapters they find something that they like. I'm open to recomendations, though, and if you have any ideas to improve my writing, please don't hesitate to tell me. By the way, somehow I got your rewiev twice. I was super confused when I started reading both of them only to find they where the same, lol.**

 **Nugget O Awesome:those are great ideas, but I want to wait a bit before I try to get any of those(or both if I find willing people). I already gave the wiki a look and I will try my best. Thanks for the recomendations.**

 **Altair the black dragon: thank you, I will try to keep you all entertained. As for combining it with Dust, hmmm... I like that idea. *insert evil and nad laugh here***

 **ThePatriot99:*John Cena breaks the screen* Are you sure about that?**

 **Mecharic: hey, I'm no Coeur Al'Alan, he writes Jaune perfectly. I just hope I can write him relatively well.**

 **doopaloop: Black Knights are my favorite too. Thanks for the support.**

 **Whew! I think that is all for now. Also: 1200 views!? Damm, that may not be much compared to the big fics but it means a lot to me. Thank you all for the support. Have a great day!**


	7. Chapter V

**A.N: hello there! So the fifth chapter is here and Ozpin gets his meeting with the mysterious knight. How will it end for both? We'll see. Now about the OCs: I wanted to wait for this chapter to leave where loyalties lay clear. You will have time to send them to me, so don't worry if I am able to post the next chapter before you send them to me. I don't plan on making any more OCs apear for a while.**

 **With that said, you will have the sheet at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter V**

 **Chess is a three-player game**

For the first time since he had awoken in this world, he was treated to calm and uneventful morning. He had managed to get himself up without waking Cyane and headed to make breakfast for the child. Under the instructions of Ember, he was able to make one of the most delicious foods he had ever tasted: pancakes. The moment he tasted them he decided that this world really deserved to be protected.

After the delightful discovery, Cyane appeared from one of the doors yawning and rubbing her eyes in a sleepy manner, making Onyx and Ember chuckle at the display of cuteness. "Good morning, Cyane. Did you sleep well?" At least he hoped that better than him. He had already slept with his armor some nights, but that didn't made him get used to the pains after waking up. Not that they lasted long, but they were a nuisance for a couple of hours.

The answer was nothing more then mumble and a nod, showing that the spider faunus was not a fan of waking up early, or waking up at all. Nor caring of the laughs of her two friends, she turned around and walked as if she was an undead, back to the table in the living room. Luckily, the pancakes proved to be a great way to wake her up. After having breakfast together, Cyane announced that she was going to dress herself and check if she had anything else to pack. When the dishes were cleaned, Onyx gave a look to a bookshelf and the books in it in the living room. None of them seemed too interesting, but checking on one with just a black cover and no title, he discovered it to be a small hiding spot for a good amount of lien. Wondering if there were more in the house, he went to the parents bedroom and checked in it.

He was correct, as under the bed, there was a small suitcase with enough lien to buy the family a new residence. Ember explained that it wasn't too uncommon as the towns could be assaulted and overrun by Grimm in a moments notice. Normally, Onyx wouldn't have condoned stealing, but he was going to need it for Cyane and him. Making sure he didn't forgot anything, he called the girl. She answered and appeared with two bags and two suitcases too big for herself. She reached the bottom of the stairs where he was waiting, without falling somehow. He sighed and she beamed him an innocent smile as if she didn't know what was happening. He wanted to protest and tell her that she couldn't take everything, but it was Ember who 'voiced' his thoughts, _'Cyane, you can't take all of that to Vale. We don't know where we are going to stay and you can't carry all that.'_

"But can't you put it inside that infinite pouch?" Onyx looked at her with a face that showed that he had forgotten about that, _again_. Luckily, the helmet hid his face completely. "Also, if we don't have enough space, you can always keep it in there."

A few moments in silence after those statements proved them right. Cyane smiled again and waited for Onyx to grab everything and store it in the bag. Before they left, she turned around and looked at her house. A small feeling of nostalgia and sadness grabbed her, making her remember all the times with her family. But it passed as the knight ruffled her hair and smiled at her. She didn't need to see behind the helmet to know so, and smiled back.

She was hoisted up to his shoulder and both of them started walking towards Tealle's landing pads. They stopped at Elec's house to give him the keys. "Hey, Onyx." The knight was leaving when he heard his named from Elec, "The people in here saw what you did last night against the White Fang. You are their hero, the hero of the entire village. I don't know what would've happened if you didn't stop them." Elec smiled, "In the name of everyone, thank you."

Onyx nodded and kept walking towards their destination. The people they passed looked at them, but he didn't see any fear in their faces, or at least not as much as the first time he wondered through the town. Most of them looked at him with hope and gratitude in their faces. He even recognized some of the ones he saved during the night, and some of those even stopped him to give him their thanks. For Onyx, all of this was… strange. He had helped the people of Anor Londo back in his old world, but they never thanked or approached him like these people did. In Anor Londo, the people respected and feared them greatly, making it almost impossible to approach them without watching their fear or respect make them act differently.

But he liked the change none the less. He reached the platforms with Cyane still in his shoulder, grabbing his left horn on the helmet. The pads were close to one of the most reinforced walls in the village. They consisted of a great landing field with three hangars at both sides and the pads at the end of the airfield. Some cars moved ships from the landing pads to the hangars and vice versa. Seeing as this town was relatively close to the City of Vale, it wasn't weird for it to have some air traffic. Still, it impressed Onyx how the people had advanced so much.

They arrived to one of the pads, where a bullhead with the symbol of Beacon awaited. They closed in and the pilot immediately recognized the ones he was ordered to lift back to the academy. Cyane jumped of his shoulder and entered quickly, looking for the seat closer to the windows. Before he could enter he was stopped by a voice behind him. "Excuse me." Onyx turned and was barely able to contain a sigh. In front of him was the Mayor, with his family behind him. He had a serious face, but it surprised Onyx that there was no hate or anger in it.

"What do you want? We are already leaving as you asked." He said, with anger clear in his deep voice.

The man's posture relaxed and spoke with a sigh, "I'm here to thank you for what you did for me and this entire town, and to apologize for my behavior yesterday."

That surprised the knight. The sincerity of Mayor Vance's words was clear, but he still kept his annoyed and angry posture in his body and face. "As much as I don't like you, nobody here deserved what happened last night."

"I know." The Mayor sighed, "I don't hate the Faunus, but after I retired, a group of unhappy faunus blew up a residence for retired soldiers, most of them from the Faunus Wars. He killed my old squad, and all that was left to burry them were ashes and bits." He looked back to Onyx, "I will make sure Cyane is taken care as if she was the Schnee heiress herself, if you want."

Onyx looked back at the girl, already strapped on her sit and talking happily with the pilot. He pondered the decision for a moment before vanishing it. "Thanks for the offer, but I will take her with me. She is my apprentice now." He turned back to the Mayor. "If you want to repay me, start treating the faunus as they deserve and keep all of the people in this town safe."

The man's wife smiled., "Don't worry, I will keep him in check. We'll also keep the Mikas's house clean if you ever come back." When his wife finished, he extended a hand to the knight. He looked at it for a moment before extending his own and shaking it. With the goodbyes, he stepped inside the bullhead, sitting by the side of Cyane and strapping in. Luckly the seat was big enough for him and he could sit without trouble. Beside him, Cyane was fiddling with a scroll. None of the both had one, so he was confused to see it.

"Where did you get that?" He asked. She kept going through the scroll, ending in an program that seemed to play recorded videos and allow them to be uploaded.

"The pilot gave it to me for while we are on flight on the condition that I don't break it." Seeing as how she was masterfully switching between videos, he didn't give it to much thought. That is, until her voice called him. "Onyx, look…"

She showed him the video that was being played in the device. What had caught Cyane's attention was that _he_ was on it. It was from the night of the attack and showed him saving the families and knocking out the White Fang that were in his way. Cyane kept her eyes glued to the screen until the massacre at the plaza started. Onyx expected a furious look with harsh words or even some tears for the brutality in which he ended them. Instead the girl started turning a shade of green and bringing one of her hands to her mouth. Quickly, Onyx took the scroll from her and brought out a paper bag from close to their seats to her face. It seemed that people might get sick while flying, as Ember told him while the poor faunus at his side emptied the contents of her breakfast in the bag.

After a few seconds, she recovered a little bit of color and looked at him. "I-I know that you had to do that, but why so… bloody?" There was a tone in her voice that he recognized. She was thinking about her parents.

Onyx sighed and looked to see if the pilot could hear them. When he confirmed he couldn't, he paused the video and leaned his back on the wall behind his seat. "You know I'm not human nor faunus." The girl nodded, a little more recuperated from the nausea. "The thing is… I'm not from this world either."

The girl's eyes widened as plates at that statement, "You're an alien!?"

Onyx blinked at that and the confusion was clear on his voice, "What? No! I don't even now that is!" He sighed and started explaining, "What I meant is that I come from an Age far in the past. So far that the only things that are left of it apart from me are ashes and dust."

Ember continued, _'I brought him back from the dead to help me protect this Age from the Grimm.'_ After that, both of them waited for the girl's reaction, expecting surprise, anger, confusion and the like.

What they did not expect, was for her to bring a hand calmly to her chin and to look lost in thought for a second, "Well, that does explain a lot."

Now it was both of them to be confused. _'Aren't you surprised? You reacted differently when you thought he was an alien.'_ The girl looked back at them with a so-so gesture with her hand. Leaving the bag down on the floor, tied up for the content not to fall on the floor, she explained.

"I am but I supposed you were something… similar. The armor, the weapons and you not knowing some of the machines that have been here for _years_ were pretty good hints." The last part was said with a small giggling. "I didn't know exactly but I my guess was that you were a knight from a time before the kingdoms."

' _Well, she wasn't completely wrong.'_ The musing in his head from Ember did not help in this situation. He was surprised by the fact that she was technically right, although, on hindsight, anyone with a working brain would at least notice he wasn't from around these parts precisely.

He collected his thoughts and sighed before taking off his helmet and looking at her blue eyes. "The time from when I come from is much older than you can imagine. We had no Aura or Semblance, not even Grimm or Faunus. But there were creatures that were as bloodthirsty and cruel as the Grimm." When her attention was fully on his words, he continued, "In my world, the mistakes and fear of the powerful lead to the creation of a race known as Demons. They were as brutal as the Grimm but more intelligent, capable of wielding weapons and of using fire magic: pyromancies." Cyane was listening to him as if he was some kind of prophet talking about their god to some fanatics. Luckily, the comparison was only that: a comparison. "I was given this armor and weapons to fight them alongside my brothers in arms and my Lord. To fight an enemy like that, you need to be as merciless and brutal as them. I was taught to fight like that, and even if I know other less gruesome ways, I will not be stopped from saving this world, and specially you."

The four eyes of the spider faunus looked at him as if a great truth had been revealed to them, which was partially correct. She shook her head after a moment, "I know you won't. I just wasn't prepared for it and… it brought back memories."

He understood immediately. "I'm sorry, it wasn't my int-"

"I know you didn't do it on purpose, you metal head." She interrupted with a smile, surprising him even more with the nickname he had suddenly been given. "And I know I will have to get used to it if I'm going to help sometime in the future." He knew he was referring to both her parents and the images, but didn't say anything. She looked at him with a more serious face, "You haven't told this to anybody else, right?"

Onyx shook his head, "I don't trust anybody else and you deserve to know the truth."

' _Specially if you are going to be with us.'_ Remarked Ember.

A wide smile separated her face in half before hugging him by his side, "Thank you for trusting me. I promise I'll keep it secret."

"And I promise to tell you the rest of what I remember." She looked up at him, confused. "I don't recall everything. There are blanks in my memory like my own name or some of my past before I fought the Demons. Ember says it might come back, and if it does, I'll tell you."

She nodded and the rest of the journey was spent mostly in silence. The trip itself was short, less than an hour, but it was relaxing and none of the three passengers dared to break the calm.

* * *

A loud ' _thump'_ signaled their arrival at Beacon. They both sat up and Onyx opened the door, dropping to the landing pad and helping Cyane down to the ground. Turning around, they both were caught in the beauty of the academy. The pathway towards the main structure was pristine clean with white tiles. Trees and green, well-cut bushes by it sides, making it welcoming towards the new arrivals. Two great sets of arcs surrounded the plaza in front of the main building, with fountains at the sides of said plaza. The center was decorated with a statue of some hunters posing victorious over the hordes of Grimm at the feet of the statue.

The building – or set of buildings – was not eclipsed by this decorations. In fact, they gave the school a look of being almost a castle made to shine with the sunlight. The tower of the CCTS spiked over it and seemed to be the reason for the namesake of the hunting academy. The top seemed to shine in a bright green light, enough to be noticed but not to outshine someone's eyes if looked at. The whole sight in front of him made him remember the City of the Gods, with it's pure white walls and the entrancing reflection of the sun on it.

Suddenly, a pain in his head made him stop. It wasn't as strong as when he was awoken in the Kiln, but the sensation was clearly similar. He clutched his helm over his head in one hand, making Cyane stop with a worried face and ask him what was wrong. Her voice faded as his memories surfaced in his brain…

* * *

 _The elevator inside of the tower arrived at the base of said building. He stepped off the circular platform and walked the stairs to the pathway that lead to the cathedral. As he walked out, the sight of the fading sun over the main building of the city was shown to him in all it's glory. No matter how many times he patrolled this bridge or returned from missions requested from his superiors, he never grew tired of the sight._

 _He was so captivated that he almost didn't realize the tall figure clad in gold armor and a spear in it's hand approaching him. The armor showed great detail in every part of it, and the parts showed great delicacy and masterful smith work. The spear at it's side was none less beautiful and just as deadly as it's wielder. The most eye-catching part was the helmet, resembling a lion with a red plume in it's back._

 _The moment the great figure approached, he knelt on one knee and bowed his head. "Knight Ornstein, it's an honor to be in your presence."_

 _The leader of the Knights of Gwyn stopped in front of him with a small, almost a whisper of a chuckle. Good, that meant he was in a good mood. "You may rise, knight."_

 _He nodded and rose to his full height. Even still, Ornstein dwarfed him completely. Letting his curiosity speak, he addressed the Lion Knight, "If it's not an inconvenience to ask, what are you doing out here, milord?"_

 _He aswered, "It is of no problem, my friend. I was just about to check on my three fellow companions and getting away from Smough for a while. He is a great fighter, but not someone who I wish to spare more time than needed with. I don't dislike him but he has some… sickening tastes."_

 _He nodded. The likings of the guardian of the cathedral were of no secret. Addressing back his superior, he spoke, "I understand." He said, "As for the rest of the Knights, I believe I saw Knight Artorias alongside Lady Ciaran in the church, chatting in front of the painting as they usually do. I'm afraid I have no knowledge on the whereabouts of Knight Gough."_

" _How do you loose a giant out here, G[][]a[][][]?" The question was without any sort of incrimination, drawing a small laugh from both knights. Ornstein continued afterwards, "As for the other two, I'm afraid they are not as subtle as they think they are."_

 _The Silver Knight chuckled while shrugging, "I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about whatsoever, milord." He didn't need to see behind the lion themed helmet to know that it's wearer was rolling his eyes. "May I accompany you while you reunite with them? I have already finished my duties for the day."_

 _The Lion Knight nodded, "Of course. It's always a pleasure to have someone to talk to while walking." The golden knight turned and strode towards the tower in the middle of the path that would lead them to the entrance in the church._

 _The Silver Knight walked alongside him. "It is my pleasure, milord."_

* * *

Onyx returned to reality to see a small child right at his leg, as if trying to hold him. He knew that even with Aura it would be almost impossible for her to hold his entire weight alongside the armor. He spoke, if only to calm Cyane before she worried about him, "I'm fine. It was just a memory, nothing more."

The girl nodded, a little bit more calmer now, "You scared me for a moment. You grabbed your head and stopped in place for a few seconds. You were grunting and almost fell."

"I'm sorry." He ruffled her hair and looked at her with a smile. He didn't know if it was the augmented vision of the faunus, the two extra eyes or if she was starting to understand his movements, but she smiled back and allowed him to keep ruffling her hair for a few seconds. Normally, the gauntlet would have felt cold and painful if done with too much force, but thanks to Ember it was warm and Onyx knew to do it gently.

' _The explanation will have to wait.'_ Ember got both of them to listen, _'We have company.'_

Onyx raised himself and watched as a blonde woman strode towards them. Her attire was screaming formality, the short cape made her look even more menacing, at least towards the little Cyane. Onyx wasn't impressed but he had to admit that the lady, Glynda Goodwitch as Ember told him, had an imposing presence. Honestly, having to put up with teenagers capable of causing the building to crumble into dust required a stern and strict supervision. Onyx supposed that was part of her work.

She reached the two. Cyane stood her ground even against the look Glynda gave her. The professor turned towards Onyx. "Welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. I will be taking you to see the Headmaster." She looked back at the faunus, "As for her, I'm sure one of our staff members can-"

"No." The sound of the voice of the Black Knight cut her right off, "She is to remain at my side during whatever Ozpin has planned. I don't care what anyone has to say: if he wants to speak to me, she will be there with me."

The voice of the knight left no choice on the matter. Glynda sighed, "Very well."

Onyx nodded and proceeded to present them, "I am Onyx Aurelis, and the girl at my side is my protégé, Cyane Mika." He pointed at each one as he said their names, leaving Ember hidden as they agreed. "If there isn't anything else, I would like to speak with Ozpin as soon as possible."

"Of course. Follow me." Onyx picked Cyane to his shoulder and started walking. He had moved the child there for her to have a better view of the academy as they passed through it, but also for her not to be looked down by the Headmistress that accompanied them. The new year hadn't started yet and there was almost no one in the way to Ozpin's tower. The ones that were there were mostly cleaning crew and people preparing the academy for the upcoming classes. They looked at him with awed and unbelieving eyes. He couldn't blame them. The fact of having a child on his shoulder and the stern teacher guiding them helped to create an aura of power and fear, making them step out of their way.

They reached the tower and walked towards the elevator in the center of it. He had to lift Cyane back to the ground and duck to enter it. There he found that this was nothing like the ones he had grown accustomed to in Lordran. It was smaller, but had many buttons signaling the amount of floors it could reach and stop. The lady pushed one of them and they began to ascend. A boring and repetitive music sounded in the background, while the silence inside kept growing more and more uncomfortable and hostile.

They reached the floor and the doors opened, with Glynda quickly stepping in front of the pair, leading them inside of the office. When he entered the space that made Ozpin's office, he came to two possible conclusions: either Ozpin had created the room like this to intimidate the people that entered it and laughed at their expense or the man was compensating for something. The sound of the enormous clock expanded through the room while the man that owned this school sat behind his desk, with a mug on it and a smile on his face. The room showed the clockwork in it and gave the office an ominous feeling. Cyane grabbed his leg a bit but moved with him towards the chairs nonetheless.

When they were both seated, Glynda moved to the side of the room , close to Ozpin. The man in question started speaking, "Thank you for taking my offer to come to speak to me. My friend told me you had a child with you, but I was expecting to have a more private meeting."

Onyx responded, "She comes with me. If there's anything you wish to talk about, she will be by my side."

Ozpin nodded, "Very well. I'm afraid I don't know your names, but I have the suspicion you already know who I am."

Onyx nodded, "Indeed. My name is Onyx Aureolis, the Black Knight," He said, giving the title he had used against the White Fang, "and this is Cyane Mika." He pointed at the small faunus by his side.

The girl smiled nervously and gave a small wave, "Um, hi…"

"Hello, Miss Mika." Responded Ozpin with a smile, "Now, with presentations out of the way, I'm sure you want to know why I wanted to speak with you, Mr. Aureolis."

Onyx crossed his arms over his chest, "I have some ideas, but please, by all means, enlighten us."

Ozpin kept a straight face while speaking, "I saw the recordings of my cameras in the Emerald Forest when you saved the girl by your side. It was a shame that you couldn't reach his parents in time. My condolences." Cyane nodded with her head down at that part. He continued, "I also recently watched a video of you 'dealing' with the White Fang that attacked Tealle the other night. While quite gruesome, you managed to save the village and it's people with only one casualty, which is far less of what could have happened had you not intervened."

"I saw it too, but it still doesn't explain why I was called here." Onyx was patient, but knowing what Ember had told him about this man, he wasn't going to take any chances.

"Of course. You see, the hunters and huntresses fight a war against the Grimm day after day. We need all the help we can gather in order to stop them and prevent as many deaths as possible. That's why I called you. I think we can cooperate with each other against a common enemy."

"What makes you think I will take the offer?" Asked Onyx in a calm tone.

"I saw the hate in which you killed that Alpha and the motivation against the attackers of the town. If you were just passing by you wouldn't have cared to step in, and your armor, weapons and even your own height point to something more than doing it just for pity or convenience." He stopped for a moment, "I had a friend of mine do research on you thanks to the recordings and has found that some old ruins have markings which resemble the armor you wear."

Onyx was intrigued by what he had said about the markings, but he kept his composure. He was no fool and would not be baited so easily. He chuckled darkly, "I see you have done your homework about me."

"As much as I could, but there still a lot of unanswered questions."

"You know, I have also learned about you. A lot, actually." He leaned a little bit forward, "I know who you are, _what_ you are. Tell me, do I need to be more specific?"

That earned a small frown for a second, bur vanished as quickly as it came. Ozpin leaned forward, crossing his hands in front of his head, "What do you mean, Mr. Aureolis?"

He sighed, "So we are playing that game, then." He raised his covered head and let out a small laugh that send shivers down the spines of everyone in the room. "Tell me, when you send Qrow after me, what were you expecting to find, hmm? A willing puppet? A new piece on your side of the board?" The expression of the man in front of him didn't waver, but the woman to his side grew more and more wary of him, "I have my own objectives given by someone that I know I can trust."

"And what would those objectives be?"

"The recovery of the balance between light and dark," He stopped and leaned forward, the helmet now closer to the Headmaster, "and the death of Salem."

That brought a reaction. Glynda went wide eyed, as did Ozpin for a second. Meanwhile, Cyane just kept looking to the two men in the room, confused to no avail. "I will make myself very clear on that regard, Ozpin: I will not work for you, not here and not anywhere in the close or far future. You hide too many secrets and use the lifes of people as if they were your own personal pawns. But," He continued, "I know we have a common enemy and I'm not an idiot. Joining forces will be better for everyone in Remnant. That being said, I will not hesitate in killing you, should you stand in our way."

"Who told you all of that? Ozpin , it's clear that he cannot be trusted. That information is sensible and-" Glynda was cut from her ranting by the Headmaster.

"Glynda, calm down." The woman ceased, letting Ozpin continue speaking to Onyx, "But she is right, where did you obtained that information?"

Onyx seemed in deep thought for a moment. "You can do that? Very well, but no weird things. Cyane will tell me if something happened." He lowered his head for a moment. The next, two white fires erupted from his eyes, flowing outside from the helmet's eye holes, showing that Ember had taken temporary control of his body. The sudden change startled everyone in the room: Cyane was surprised Ember was able to do that, and Glynda and Ozpin saw in them the resemblance to the Maiden's powers.

The voice of Ember was unchanged, speaking as if it were 3 at the same time. _"Headmaster Ozpin."_ The words were said without emotion, _"That is the title you go by now, right? Not longer a wizard or mage? More lies."_ The last words were spat out like venom, _"But, in the end, I don't know what I was expecting from you."_

Ozpin remained remarkably calm, but he was starting to think that this may not have been the best idea he had ever had. "Who are you?"

Finally, it was Cyane who spoke, "You can do that!? Is Onyx okay!? Wait… if I'm connected to you too, does that mean you can also do it to me!? I don't want to be controlled!" She sent an angry look to Ember, "If you do that I will… um I…" She stopped, thinking, "I don't know, but you'll regret it, Ember!"

The three voices of Ember laughed. _"Don't worry. I promise I won't."_ Turning back to Ozpin, it spoke again, _"As you have heard, I'm Ember. I am an eternal being of light, that has kept the balance throughout the Ages. I have allied myself with Onyx to restore the balance to Remnant., seeing as how the little 'shadow war' you are holding against Salem isn't working."_

"And you are not afraid to reveal that information to me, even if you don't trust me?" Asked Ozpin.

Ember answered in a calm, steady tone, _"I'm not an idiot, Ozpin. I know you, I've seen what you have done and I know that you have very few people that you would reveal this information to, and even less that would believe you."_ Ember paused a moment, starting a staring contest with the man at the other side of the table. Fiery eyes lowered a moment with a sigh, _"As much as I have my reasons to not like you, Onyx is right: we might need each other to win this war."_

After a moment, Ozpin nodded, "You are correct. There are questions that I would like for you to answer, but we are not in a hurry. I can give you a room in Beacon until the new course starts."

Ember raised an open palm, signaling to hold for a moment. The fire faded, and a grumble came from the now returned Onyx. "Urg, that was weird. Give me a second…" Ozpin nodded, waiting for the knight to recover. The hand of Cyane took his and stared at him with a worried look. "It's fine, I'm fine. As for your proposal, I will be taking it until we can find house down on Vale."

Ozpin smiled and nodded but Glynda stepped closer. "What about Miss Mika?"

Both visitors turned to her. The child looked at her with worry, and Onyx spoke, "Is there a problem?"

Glynda pushed her glasses up her nose, "She is too young to be dragged into this. She would be better with an adoptive family."

"But I want to be with him! He promised me he will train me and I don't want to go with another family." The girl looked with determination at the older woman.

She returned the glare and swiped her weapon on the desk, with a loud sound and earning an 'eep!' from the faunus, "It's not what you want but what will keep you save. I can search for a family mys-" A hand reached her arm, Ozpin stopping her from moving forward.

"I'm afraid that is not our decision to make, Glynda." He pointed with the head to the black armored figure. He had a hand reaching to his pouch, but the other had a ball of pure fire over the open palm. The ball looked like a small representation of the sun and it was dripping small drops of lava into his armor and the floor. The armor was unscathed but the floor hissed with each drop until they cooled down.

Glynda stopped and recoiled a step, more out of caution than out of fear. The Black Knight rose from his seat, with Cyane following the motion. "Go and wait on the door, I will be with you in a moment." The girl nodded and hurried to call the elevator without another word. Onyx turned and walked to the Headmistress, moving the flaming orb closer, making sweat drop from the woman's face almost instantly. He inched his face closer, "If you or anyone takes her away from me, from _us_ , I will rip your head off and stick it on a pole at the entrance to Beacon, with your burning body in front of it." He turned his head towards Ozpin, "Understood?"

Ozpin slowly left his seat and moved closer to both of them. Glynda hadn't moved an inch but she was ready to repel any attack. The problem was that the knight was not going to just repel an attack or to defend himself, he was ready to go in for the kill the instant anybody moved. "Cristal clear."

Onyx let the fireball disappear and walked to the now open doors of the elevator. When they closed, Glynda let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. A hand rested on her shoulder and she turned to Ozpin. "We must be careful with him. He is a force that not even I know about, and the only things keeping his heart in place is his duty and that child. Lets not take them away, unless we want to have another enemy. Keep an eye on her notheless: if something happens to her, we will know." The blonde woman nodded and both of them returned to work, but the tension didn't left the room until well entered the afternoon.

* * *

 **A.N: good Lord, was this chapter long. At least it took me more to write than the rest. I hope I represented both teachers correctly or close to canon. Now with the OC sheet:**

 **Name** **(try to stick to the color rule, not necessary but preferred):**

 **Team name(in case they belong to one, 4 letters, does NOT need to match the color rule):**

 **Apperance(physical, clothes, age):**

 **Weapon and/or fighting style:**

 **Semblance:**

 **Personality(the more specific this is, the better I can represent your character):**

 **Emblem(if you want):**

 **Faction(Ozpin, Salem, Onyx, neutral, etc.)**

 **Backstory(doesn't need to be too specific if you don't want to):**

 **Likes/dislikes(if they aren't already in personality. This one is more optional if you want):**

 **Notes(anything you want to add or to tell me about them):**

 **That's it! If you want to add something else, feel free to do it. Send them through PM or rewiev, whichever you prefer. If you want, you can also send me a complete team. The creators will OBVIOUSLY be credited for their characters.**

 **Rewiev time:**

 **CreepingZombie: I hope this chapter answers some of your questions. As for the last one, answering it will mean spoilers, and we don't want that, right?**

 **Gray28wolf08: thank you. I will try my best to stick to it while developing the character.**

 **Have a great day!**


	8. Chapter VI

**A.N.: hello there! I overcomplicated things, yay! The one week I have full of tests and I make a chapter of 9000 words, go me! And I still have two more tests next week, ha ha fuck my life!**

 **In a more surious note, I'm really, really sorry I couldn't get this chapter out earlier. I wanted to post it on friday, but having to do all these timeskips really took more time than I expected.**

 **Apart from that I have some news: first, I will be posting a chracter sheet in the next upload before the next official chapter. It will be a short compilation of the characters I create, and I will make more when more characters enter the story. This includes yor OCs, which I still would like you to send if you have any ideas. Of course, their creators will be credited.**

 **Second: in these short sheets I will also explain some stuff about Remnant outside from the story, so you don't need to go through all the exposition during the story itself.**

 **That's all for now. More in the A.N. at the end. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter VI**

 **To the future and forward**

After the meeting with Ozpin, Onyx and Cyane were guided to the room that was provided by the academy. Normally, that wouldn't be so bad, but their guide was a professor with a white, manly mustache and very hairy eyebrows. He wore a double-breasted burgundy suit with gold piping and buttons. His pants were tucked into olive boots and appeared to be a little overweight. Seeing as how his belly bounced every time he laughed, Onyx wasn't going to deny that last statement.

His name was Peter Port, professor of Grimm Studies, and an amazing story teller, according to himself. Though that opinion may vary if you ask any of his 2 current companions and their little flame. Cyane was almost falling asleep on the knight's shoulder, but woke up every time Port yelled, making her almost fall off several times. Ember had completely disconnected from the outside world and was doing God knows what. And Onyx, well…

"… the grimm lounged for the poor fella, lying on the ground, but before he could reach him, HUZZAH!" Cyane was caught thanks to Onyx's reflexes, "I shot it in it's neck, covering the my friend in grimm innards for a few moments. We returned that same night and I was appraised as a hero!" As the man laughed loudly, Onyx let out a sigh of relief. But his peace didn't last for long.

"Ho, ho! It does remind me of another story from my great youth…" Onyx's eye twitched and the faunus on his shoulder let out a groan of desperation. Truly, this man could have killed the eternal dragons out of boredom, and they were _eternal_! Ember reminded him that he was immortal for now, making the Black Knight let out an ever louder groan than his little partner. Luckily, they were saved by reaching their destination.

"Ah. We have arrived, lads. A shame," he said "I was hoping to tell you more stories, but I'm sure someone like you has great experience in the field." He said to Onyx. He simply nodded while Port searched for the scroll to open the door. Honestly, the man wasn't a bad person. In fact, when he saw them, he didn't react scared and his treatment towards Cyane was without hate or racism. He was a good person, but by the Abyss and the almighty Gwyn, don't ask him about his past!

Port opened the door and gestured inside. It was a relatively big room with two beds at either side of the window at the back of the room, with two tables at the sides of the entrance and a door to the right that he supposed leaded to the bathroom. The light of day still shone from the window over the room. A few shelves with books related to the studies of Beacon were posted over the tables. It was nice and had quite the space. _'Well, this covers the living space until we find a house.'_ Ember spoke, noticing that the man with a mustache had stopped gloating about his past, may it be real or just fiction. _'And I can use those books for the lessons with Cyane.'_

Onyx turned to Peter and spoke, "Thank you for guiding us here, Mr. Port"

"Oh, no need to thank me. And please, call me Peter." He said in a happy tone.

Onyx nodded, "You have my thanks nonetheless, Peter. I would have lost myself here and your stories were… enlightening." _'But, by the Gods, enlighten someone else.'_ The last part went unsaid.

"Thank you, lad." He said while laughing. He turned to Cyane, who had dropped from Onyx and went directly to one of the beds. "It is a great task that you have imposed on yourself by deciding to take her under your wing, my friend. Are you sure you don't want her to join Beacon when she is ready? We could help her a lot, and you too." His voice was calm and honest, which meant that Ozpin hadn't told them who he really was or he didn't care. Either way, it showed that his concern wasn't a lie.

Onyx shook his head, "Thank you, Peter, but I have my own ways. They may be a little more brutal, but she will be a great warrior when we are over." The man by his side hummed, both in agreement and a little disappointment to loose a potential victi- listener to his stories. Onyx smiled and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "But I don't think she would mind if you presented us the rest of your companions here at Beacon."

The round man smiled, "Of course! It will be my pleasure. I'm sure Bartholomew would love to see this armor of yours. But another maybe another day, lad. I believe you both need to rest." He faced the bed were Cyane had fallen asleep. "Well, at least one of you." He added with a chuckle.

Onyx smiled and nodded, shaking the hand of Port as a goodbye. The professor handed him the scroll to enter the room and left afterwards. Onyx ducked his head and entered the room, locking the door behind him. He decided to take a shower, not because he needed it, but he felt it would help to remove the tension from the recent meeting. It was still morning but lunch time would be soon. Moving to the bathroom, he closed the door behind him and unclasped his armor. After a few minutes, his armor was on the floor and he proceeded to take the clothing he wore under the armor. Without it, he was still taller than any human but not as intimidating as he was with it. He still had a muscular figure and an imposing frame, but the horns in the helmet and the overall aura that the armor emitted was missing. When he looked at himself in the mirror without clothes, he noticed that his scars from another Age were completely gone. Not that he minded too much, he was never one to brag about those.

The shower did calm his nerves, and after placing all the armor back on, he proceeded to sit on his bed and get the handle of the scroll. It was fairly easy, even if Ember had to explain the basics to him, but the device itself was very user friendly. Don't get him wrong, he was still baffled by the technology in this world, but staring at it in awe wouldn't make it work. The contact list had the numbers from every teacher in Beacon, and allowed access to the CCTS network. Cyane had stayed asleep during all this time, and only grumbled a bit when it rang.

The screen showed that the number belonged to Ozpin. It was a message, and he decided to see what it was, even if his mood wasn't the best tight now.

" _Mr. Aureolis, I would like to talk to you about an idea you and Ember may be interested in. If possible, meet me in front of the Statue of the Huntsmen."_

When he asked if Ember knew what the Headmaster was thinking, the flame shrugged. Onyx sighed and went out to meet the man. Beacon was _big_. Enough to get lost for hours if you didn't know were you where. Luckily, there were some maps in the walls and the scrolls were sent a map when somebody entered the buildings. After a few minutes walking, he reached outside and saw Ozpin seated in a bench close to the statue, alone.

When he reached Ozpin, the man turned his head to the knight. "You called me here. Is there something you need?" Onyx sat beside him and waited for the man to answer.

"Indeed." He sipped his coffee. "But first, is our friend listening?" Onyx was in silence for a second before nodding. "Good. I believe I have come up with an idea that would aid both of us in our fight."

Onyx looked at the statue for a moment. He turned his head back to the Headmaster, "We are listening."

Ozpin drunk from his cup before continuing. "I want to hire you as security for Beacon." Onyx was about to retort, but Ozpin stopped him. "Hear me out. I understand that you do not trust me, and I can't convince you both to do so for now. What I'm proposing is far more complicated than just hiring you." Onyx gestured him to continue. "That would be the official reason: a person to make sure everyone in Beacon is safe and that we are secure from threats from outside and inside."

The Black Knight nodded, with even Ember interested in what the white haired man had to say. "And the unofficial part?"

"That's where I'm getting at." Sip from the cup. "If you accept I will put in the table all of my resources for you and your allies, if you gather any in the future. You would only need to respect the laws approved by all the kingdoms, and those are very lenient for huntsmen. In exchange, I would like you to act as one of my agents in other to protect Remnant. You would be allowed to deny or accept any mission I give to you and any news we get will be relied to you."

Onyx stood in silence, talking with Ember. It went on for a couple of minutes until he spoke again. "We are willing to agree, under a few conditions." Ozpin nodded, "First: we want access to Beacon's facilities. It would help us train Cyane and I can get familiarized with the academy. Second: we will go in our own missions when necessary, but we are also willing to keep you updated if we deem that you need to know. Finally: we want _you_ to protect the people we gather as our allies, even if their past is… not morally correct."

Ozpin raised and eyebrow at the last one. Onyx just sighed, "I do not intend on getting criminals into your school, but we don't where we might find new allies. If I believe they can't be trusted I will not bring them here, but I want a place where they can be safe, whether it's from our enemies or other threats."

Ozpin hummed and sipped from his cup. "Those are terms I can understand. If Ember agrees then I can create you a past and give you your Huntsman license." When Onyx nodded, a the Headmaster smiled and extended his hand. "I have made more mistakes than any person in this world, but I hope we can build a trust between both of us." Onyx looked at the hand for a moment before shaking it. He rose from his seat but Ozpin stopped him before he could leave. "I thought you were going to deny my proposal. What made you both change your opinion?"

Onyx turned to the statue and spoke, "We believe that together we are stronger. Ember doesn't trust you, and neither do I." He turned back to Ozpin, "But Salem will win if we fight between ourselves or let the past lead us into hate. We will work together, for the good of everyone."

With those words he left, leaving Ozpin alone in the walkway. He brought the cup to his mouth but frowned when he found he had drank all of it's content. With a sigh, he left his seat and walked calmly to his office, with one thought in mind.

' _I need to get a bigger mug.'_

* * *

 **3 months since the Awakening**

A loud _'thud'_ and the clattering of weapons reached his ears alongside a groan from the small child in the ground in front of him. Onyx chuckled, his voice reaching all the empty training room. "You are progressing, Cyane, but you need to focus on your defense. When the opponent counter attacks you need to be ready."

Without rising from the ground, the girl spoke. "Shut it, metal head. You are taller, stronger, faster and experienced. I almost can't reach your chest!" She got up and reached the sword that the knight had given her. It was a simple straight sword: durable and fast. "And if you want me to concentrate on the defense, you could give me a shield!" She said with an angry pout.

Onyx was currently unarmed, without even his shield in order not to harm Cyane. He clasped his hands behind his back and strode closer to the girl. He leaned close to the face of Cyane, watching her pout turn into a frightened look and taking a couple of steps back. "So you think you will do better with a shield, right?"

Cyane gulped, "We-well… I-I um… don't know? I could try at least… right?"

Onyx stood there for a few moments before straightening himself and nodding. "You can try, yes. Let's see if it does you any good." He said before pulling out a shield from the pouch and handing it to Cyane. He stepped back into position and waited for the girl to ready herself. "Good. Begin!"

* * *

 **5 months since the Awakening**

Walking around Vale with his armor and a small faunus in his shoulder brought attention to him, even some photographs, but nobody dared to stop him. Seeing as how the school year in Beacon had started shorly after he signed his contract, they had postponed searching for a home until the end of the course. Right now, the group of three were walking to a little surprise for Cyane. For you see, today was her birthday, and for her efforts and progress in training and classes, Onyx had a couple of presents for her.

There was only one small problem.

"Are we there yet?"

She was being _extremely_ obnoxious about the place they were going. Onyx sighed at the girl in his shoulder. She had grown a few centimeters but was still as light as before. She was wearing a big coat, long pants and boots to cover for the cold time of the year, even if there was no snow. A small bean hat and a scarf covered her head and face respectively.

' _If you ask that one more time, I swear on all Ages that I will take control of Onyx and turn back to Beacon!'_ Ember voiced his thoughts for both of them. Well, all except the being possessed part.

Cyane giggled at her own antics. The first time she had asked was when they left the landing pad and started walking, but it lost it's fun for Onyx at 15th time she asked. It has been 20 minutes since then and she. Just. Doesn't. Stop. Asking!

"Fine, fine. I'll stop. No need to get like that, Ember." She said, the scarf covering her mischievous smirk.

After 5 minutes of walking, she was about to ask again, but Onyx stopped her before she could, "We are here." She turned to see where she had been taken to. A crystal pane separated the street from the different baked goods and giant cakes that stood proud and delicious inside the bakery.

Luckily, the door was big enough to fit them in their current position, and skipping the line, they went to a different stand. The woman in it looked up from the book she was reading and smiled at the Black Knight. "Oh! It's you! Wait right here, your order is ready, I'll bring it."

Onyx nodded and dropped Cyane in the ground carefully. All the rest of the shop were looking at him with wide eyes. The girl turned to him and send a questioning look, him only telling her to wait. A few more seconds and the same woman appeared back with a big box and handed it to Onyx. She beamed up a smile, "Here you go! I hope you enjoy it!"

"Actually, it's not for me." He said, while looking at Cyane. The box wasn't as tall as the cakes in the windows, halfway more or less, but big nonetheless.

"Oh, well, I'm hope they like it."

He smiled under the helmet, looking at the smile Cyane had, when she connected the dots. "I'm most sure they will."

The walk and flight back to Beacon was full with questions about the contents of the box and what awaited at the academy. Upon reaching it, Onyx guided her to a classroom. The students were mostly off the campus as it was Saturday. Opening the door, Cyane was greeted with a few confetti canons and group of voices, "Surprise!"

In the room were reunited the staff of Beacon: Ozpin, Dr. Oobleck, Port, Peach – a young, black-haired woman with brown eyes and a lab attire that she used daily – and even Glynda had made time to take part in the celebration. The teachers had grown quite close to the pair, and they were more than glad to help with the girl's birthday.

To say she was surprised was the understatement of the year. There were laughs, tears and a strawberry cake. When it came down to the presents, she couldn't complain: Oobleck gave her a book she had been searching for a while about legends and huntsmen; Port gave her a small, ultra detailed and beautiful carving of a roaring beowolf; Peach gifted a small, black rose that she had modified with Dust to last for almost a lifetime if treated with care. As for Ozpin and Glynda, the first one promised to pay for her personal weapon and let her use the forge when the time came, and Glynda gave her a necklace which she can use to hang the pendant her mother gave her, to carry it always with her.

As for Onyx, he waited for everybody else to leave to give her the gift. He kneeled and showed her his left palm: in it was a ring with a single white gem. The Carthus Milkring. He explained the ring to her. When she wore it, she felt more agile and the rolls and dashes made her invisible during the action.

It was one of the happiest days of her life.

* * *

 **1 year after the Awakening**

The sound of the bullhead leaving was the only thing that could be heard in the clear of the forest. Onyx made sure he had his greatsword and shield ready, and started sprinting to the location. For a normal human, it might have taken a couple of hours to reach the place, but he arrived in a little bit more than an hour.

The thin cloud of smoke signaled the place of the small and temporary bandit camp. Ozpin had received a distress signal from a village that was being continuously raided by a group of bandits. It would seem that the bandits knew that the small town had no huntsmen to guard it and the militia of the town was… lacking, to say the least. He couldn't blame the town: the small amount of Grimm in the area made the people safe, but complacent. The criminals had camped close enough to reach it in a moment's notice and used the town as their personal playground for all kinds of activities, some of which he didn't want to talk about.

While the training with Cyane was going extremely well, and she had even accompanied Onyx on missions against Grimm, he wasn't going to make her fight humans or faunus yet. She had become quite skillful with a sword and shield combination, and she was growing taller than Onyx expected: she was still small but at this pace she will be almost as tall as Ozpin, and he was quite tall, even if he was almost always seated in his chair. While she was fairly decent with other weapons, she still needed to try the heavier ones. She couldn't wait for Onyx to let her try an ultra greatsword or a greataxe, but she was still too small and needed more training for her strength.

Back in the forest, he had caught sight of the encampment. It was nothing more than a few tents, without any order or marks of a tent of the leader. It was midday and he had decided to assault it in the light of day. The reports said that their numbers were close to 50 and that a few spent the day in the town doing whatever they pleased. They were staying here until the negativity attracted a horde of Grimm and decided to leave the people of the town to die.

It went without saying that he was not going to let that happen.

Ozpin had told him that he needed to get rid of the raiders and he would send a hunter to stay in the town until they recovered. Onyx accepted the mission because the school year at Beacon had not started yet, and he could use this to wait while the people he contracted moved his and Cyane's things to their newly bought house. Plus, any other huntsman or huntress couldn't reach the village in time to get rid of the bandits.

A few guards were posted on the walls and in front of the wooden door. Their weapons were mass produced and weak, and most of them seemed undisciplined. Ember called his attention to a guy in the center of the camp giving orders to some other bandits. So that was the leader, huh? Good.

He walked into the clearing right at the door. The shouting only started when he quickly relieved a man from his head by smashing it with his shield. After he finished here, he would go to the town and finish the rest.

The ensuing bloodbath would be remembered by the villagers for years to come.

* * *

 **2 years after the Awakening**

The new club that had opened in Vale was more interesting than Cyane expected. Onyx was on a mission this night and she had decided to accompany a few 1st years to this new bar to dance and drink. Well, just dance for her. She had recently reached 13 and some students had decided to invite most of the 1st and some 2nd years alongside her to celebrate their entrance to Beacon and the new year that had begun, respectively.

While she was 4 years younger than the rest, she was tall for her age and could almost give the look of a girl close to being 15. Being the first week of the new club, everyone could enter and drinks had a discount. The club itself was just called 'Junior's Club' and was created by a man that had recently exited prison and most people just called Junior. All guards wore black jackets and pants with elegant shoes, hat and red glasses complementing the look. The club inside was open with a big dancefloor and a long bar in one of the sides of the club. An elevated zone hosted the DJ, overlooking the entirety of the local. The long crystal columns in the borders of the dancefloor made it even more appealing.

It was the perfect setting to dance and forget about the academy and the studies. Ember was a great teacher and she sometimes joined the lessons of the teachers at Beacon. The problem was that while Ember was okay with her just studying and practicing with a few oral exams, Dr. Oobleck had convinced Onyx to make her do the exams with the rest, making her as stressed as the rest of the class. Luckily, she didn't need to attend combat class with Glynda thanks to being trained by Onyx. It was difficult, _really_ difficult, but she was in the level of a student about to enter Beacon.

Having 2 rings that gave her a lot of stamina and made her move faster and disappear while dodging helped at that last part.

The club was loud and made it almost impossible to talk in the dancefloor, but it was more relaxed on the bar. The first few minutes were fun and all but everyone divided in their teams and friends, leaving her mostly alone. She didn't mind it too much but decided to go to the bar, as she didn't want to dance for now. There she studied the list of non-alcoholic drinks. Surprisingly, there were quite a few and decided to try a special milkshake that caught her attention.

One of the men behind the bar passed her the tall glass with the sweet beverage in it to her. Before she could reach it, another hand grabbed it and took it. Cyane turned to her left with confusion and anger, only to lock her eyes with mismatched ones of pink and brown and a smug smile. Before she could say anything, the girl at her side brought the straw in the glass to her mouth and started drinking. She took a second to look over the milkshake thief: the same mismatched color of her eyes made up her hair. She was small, but seemed older than her. She wore a white jacket with a pink interior, brown pants, black gloves, and black and white boots with very high heels. Under her jacket was a brown corset, curved in the middle and at the bottom, exposing her hips. She also had a multitude of necklaces.

Cyane glared at her and with a sudden move she pushed up the glass, spilling all the content in the little thief. The small girl coughed and left the vase before looking at herself and then a Cyane with surprise clear in her face. Cyane simply smirked cruelly and shrugged. The other girl scowled at her and pulled up a scroll in which she started writing, _'Why did you do that? These clothes were new! :('_

Cyane crossed her arms, "Well, you should have thought better before stealing from me. Seriously, what did you expect that would happen? That I just ordered another one for you to steal again?"

The girl wrote again and nodded while Cyane regarded the message. _'Yeah, mostly. ;)'_ Cyane rolled her eyes. The other girl stared back at her clothes. The faunus was wearing herself a long-sleeved shirt under a jacket that reached under her hips and covered her extra legs. She didn't care if people knew, but while the eyes were somewhat cute, the legs tended to scare humans and some faunus that saw them for the first time. They weren't fully developed yet so the jacket covered them well. Black, long pants ended in black boots while the upper half was white and blue with the jacket and shirt respectively.

Cyane sighed and handed the girl in front of her a few napkins to clean herself. The other girl picked them and cleaned herself as best as she could. "Well, I don't have a drink anymore and you are covered in milkshake. Are you happy now?" The other girl brought a finger to her chin, as if she was thinking, and then nodded with a smile. "Pffft, you're a jerk." She just gave another nod. Cyane chuckled, "I haven't seen you with the students. You are not from Beacon, are you?"

The girl shook her head and wrote in her scroll, _'Nah, I'm with my boss. He and Junior are old friends. But I'm also training, I'm his enforcer after all. Name's Neopolitan, by the way, but people just call me Neo.'_

"I'm Cyane." Neo nodded and then pointed to her and the students. Understanding the girl, Cyane spoke, "Well, I'm not a student per se." Neo gave her a questioning look and she continued, "The person taking care of me is also the person in care of the security there. I'm not in the academy, I'm 13. But he is training me non-stop and Ozpin says that I could pass the exams if I wanted." The ice-cream themed girl whistled at that.

' _So your father looks after everyone in Beacon_ and _trains you. He must be very good.'_ Neo wrote.

Cyane shook her head. "He is not father, actually. My parents died a few years ago and he rescued me and took me under his wing. It's been… hard for a while but he is really nice and has helped me a lot." She looked down for a moment. Before she noticed, Neo had brought her hand to Cyane's shoulder and gave her a sad smile. She handed the scroll to the faunus.

' _I understand. I'm an orphan. Roman, my boss, took me when I tried to steal from him. He's not the most legal person but he is nice and treats me well.'_

Cyane nodded at her and smiled back. She handed the scroll back to Neo and started thinking for a moment. "You know, if you are training I'm sure Onyx wouldn't mind you tagging along with us sometime if you want." She looked at Neo, who was looking at her with interest, "Well, that is, as long as you don't cause trouble in Beacon."

Neo chuckled and started writing, _'No promises. But if Roman doesn't mind I may take you on that offer. It could be fun. ;)'_

Cyane giggled. She knew that Onyx would have to watch her closely in the school grounds, which would give her a little more freedom and a partner to pull pranks on the staff and that metal head. They spent a few more hours chatting and laughing. They changed scroll numbers before Cyane left.

Honestly, the night went better than expected.

* * *

 **3 years after the Awakening**

He'd found them. After some investigation from his part and the collaboration of Ozpin, he had discovered the rumors of a person walking alongside Grimm. The rumors and indications led him to the desserts of Vacuo. And there he made another ugly discovery.

The sand in the desserts is coarse, rough and gets _everywhere_ when there's some wind to move it.

When he reached the kingdom, he paid a guide to help him move quicker throughout the dessert, even if he had a map. He told the man to lead him to the last sighting of the rumors. Problem was, the town that reported them had been destroyed not a day ago. Upon reaching it, Onyx told the guide to leave after thanking him for his services.

While Ember help with the dessert's heat and in keeping the sand out as beast as it could, the ruins of the town had made them uncomfortable and cautious. They found no survivors while wiping the town of Grimm, but ever since they stepped into what remained of it, Onyx had the feeling they were being followed. There weren't many Grimm left and they reached the center of the town shortly. There, his suspicions were confirmed.

The shadow that had been following them decided to attack them by surprise from one of the roofs close to them. Seeing as how their prey was completely clad in armor, they decided to strike in the neck, jumping over the Black Knight and using it's wrist blades to sever his head. But before he could complete his plan, the armored giant grabbed the attackers head when it landed. Onyx smashed his head on the ground and threw him to a destroyed building, making it crumble on the attacker.

A cloud of dust covered the impact point while Onyx stood still. Then, from the building came a creepy laughter. "Heh, heh, heh. You are quite strong. Oohh, I's going to be so much fun killing you slowly while you scream." A figure with gold eyes and a brown ponytail appeared from the dust. He wore a white sleeveless jacket with leather belts strapped to it, along with white pants. His jacket was left open, exposing his bare chest. His arms are covered with purple bandages and leather vambraces. He also wears leather boots covering his entire shin with knee guards. But the most prominent aspect of him was the scorpion tail coming from his back.

The man kept laughing for a few seconds. "Hmmm, but I've never seen you before. And I would remember that armor for sure. Who may you be?"

Onyx pointed his greatsword at him. "I am the Black Knight, and I assume you are one of the vermin that serves Salem."

"Oh, ho, ho. Vermin we are at the feet of my goddess." The man bowed slightly. "Tyrian, at your service, and at hers, of course. Heh, heh, heh!"

The faunus, now named Tyrian, lunged at Onyx in the blink of an eye, swinging his blades left and right. Onyx reacted even quicker, raising his shield, blocking and parrying every strike. He waited for the right time, and when one of the blades connected with his shield, he pushed Tyrian away a few meters. Changing tactics, Tyrian started firing at the knight while circling him. To his surprise, the knight just stood there, unfazed by any bullets, without even caring to turn and face him while he rounded the armor figure.

Tyrian smiled and raced towards the Black Knight for another assault, twisting and jumping at his every side while punching, cutting, kicking and firing. Onyx just tanked every hit as if it was just a random fly moving around him. While Tyrian tried to search for weak points, the patience of Onyx shortened. "You are starting to become a nuisance!" He shouted, and, in a mere second, he turned around, bringing his sword with him, and hacking a mighty slash at the scorpion faunus, making him fly into another building with enough strength to destroy what remained.

Tyrian grunted as he stepped out of the ruble. In one swing, the knight had managed to almost destroy ¾ of his Aura. How!? That swing was impossibly fast, even Hazel wouldn't be able to use that weapon without tiring himself, even less to swing that quickly! He needed to be careful: with the failed surprise attack and this hit, he was almost out of Aura. He looked back at the knight and sneered at him. He couldn't win this fight without help, so he subtly pressed a button in his hidden scroll.

The two stared at each other for a few moments, the smile of the mad faunus gone. Onyx knew his armor would protect him and his own strength accompanied by the rings allowed him to swing as fast as if he was using a simple straight sword. Tyrian ran towards him but jumped over him at the last moment, trying to grab the back of the knight and slash at his neck. Before he could, though, Onyx got a hold of his tail with his left hand and slammed him with all his might to the ground in front of him, shattering his Aura. Tyrian recovered quickly, only to be met by an ascending slash at his stomach by Onyx, leaving a large cut and sending him backwards.

Tyrian rose to his feet, clutching his stomach while it bled. The knight rushed in to finish the job, while Tyrian desperately tried to block the attacks. Weakened, his defense was broken in a few seconds and two slashes at his chest send him to the ground in pain a few feet away from Onyx. The knight approached Tyrian while he tried to crawl away, only to be stopped by an armored feet stepping on his tail. "Wh-what are y-you?" But before he could finish Tyrian, the sound of a bullhead moving through the air brought their attention to the incoming transport. When it passed over their heads, a man jumped down, trying to smash Onyx.

The Black Knight jumped backwards and dodged the attack, but the sand and dust raised by the attack covered his line of sight. That didn't stop him from watching the bullhead hover low behind the cloud of dust, dissipating it and revealing another man carrying Tyrian to the bullhead. He left the badly wounded faunus inside, closed the door and turned around, just in time to dodge a vertical downward strike from the knight, which broke the door partially and elicited a scream from the faunus inside. Onyx ripped his sword free before the machine raised in the air and turned to the other man.

He wore a black short sleeved shirt, and a large belt. His pants were black, with a pouch strapped to each pants leg, and his boots are brown with white fronts. His arms had some scars close to his elbows. A few different Dust crystals could be seen in each pouch. The man seemed calm and far more wary than his mad friend.

"Great. Two servants for the price of one." Said Onyx. "Although, you seem more sane that your friend there. What would move a man to ally himself with the being that wants to destroy his entire race?"

The muscular and tall man crossed his arms. "He is not my friend. Just an ally. And the reasons are none of your concern." The man took a deep breath and spoke again. "Let us leave and I won't need to kill you." The bullhead hadn't left the zone but, rather was hovering above them. The man reached for his pouches in preparation.

Onyx stood there for a moment, not moving an inch. After half a minute, he started chuckling slowly, turning higher and faster every second, until it went into full laughter. But, instead of a mad laugh like his companion, the man watched as the armored figure laughed darkly, sending creeps down his spine. Onyx stopped and looked back at the man. His eyes turned red under the helmet when he spoke. His voice was deeper, distorted, as if his voice was the Abyss itself.

" **YOU CAN'T KILL ME!"**

His eyes returned to normal and charged to the man. The voice had sent pure waves of fear through him, but recovered quickly and inserted the lightning crystals in his arms, blocking the greatsword of the Black Knight at the last second. Onyx was surprised at the fighting style of the man: it looked like the dust empowered him and didn't pain him in the least.

The man broke the lock between his arms and Onyx's weapon. Moving to a side, he managed to get in a powerful punch to the abdomen of the knight, but he didn't move, even with the extra charge of the electricity. Onyx swiped at him with his shield and the man slid a few feet back. From then, the combat became an exchange of slashes and punches, none of the two backing away.

Onyx needed an advantage. While the Aura of his opponent was starting to dwindle, the bullhead had readied a turret under the cockpit, waiting a clear shot, and more and more Grimm were starting to close to the town, as Ember had warned him. Dealing which each threat separately would be easy, but combined could pose a problem. Luck was with him however, as one electrically charged attack from his foe was slightly off course and Onyx managed to parry it and bring down his sword on the man.

He only needed a couple of clear hits to break his Aura and finish him, but if he was able to hit the man in the neck, he could break his spine through his Aura. That was possible because, while Aura shielded from external harm, the force and inertia of an attack could still carry into the body and fracture or break bones. But if the Aura remained active, the bones would start healing immediately. The heavier the damage, the slower the recovery. The only problem was that if you managed to break someone's neck through their Aura you could kill them instantly, or at least paralyze them for a good while.

The man realized his intentions and brought up his left arm, covering his head and neck from the diagonal slash. In that moment, Onyx brought all of his strength into the swing and two unexpected things happened. First, a red aura appeared from the weapon, leaving a mesmerizing trail of black and dark red. The instant both fighters realized this was short and none of them could do anything about it at the moment. The second strange occurrence happened the moment the attack hit.

The weapon cut _through_ the man's Aura as if didn't exist and followed through the arm, which fell to the ground, severing the forearm almost at the elbow.

The man stepped back, clutching the severed arm, but not showing signs of pain, only surprise and anger. Onyx looked at his weapons: both his sword and shield were emitting those black and red glows, which faded after a few seconds. The sound of the bullhead's weapon brought him back to reality just in time to block the bullets. The transport lowered itself and opened the damaged door, the rotors rising dust and sand. "Hazel!" The shout of a woman called his now one armed companion into the vehicle. Hazel ran to it and jumped inside, bleeding from his stump.

Onyx couldn't identify the woman before the door closed and the bullhead rose to the skies. The only thing stopping him from bringing out his bow were the increasing amount of Grimm that were surrounding him. But there was a question in his head: what in all Remnant had just happened?

Ember answered that question, _'That, my friend, was your Semblance. I've been trying to unleash it for a while now, but it appears it only needed a little push from you.'_ Onyx readied himself to fight the Grimm while Ember continued. _'It appears you are capable of cutting through Auras but I am unaware if it has more uses. We'll talk later about everything. For now, we must flee or fight. But I have a pretty clear idea of what you will do.'_

His Semblance, huh? Good. This would help him a lot, and would make a great story for Cyane. As for Ozpin, he will report what he had seen and the enemies he had fought, but would keep his Semblance a secret. He already had enough attention from the Headmaster, and telling him about his new ability would just make it worse.

But first, it was time to do another clean up.

* * *

 **4 years and 6 months after the Awakening**

This was one of the most exciting and happiest moments of Cyane's life. Onyx had discovered his Semblance a year ago: it allowed him to create an energy that could negate Auras and apply it to his weapons, while Ember discovered that applying that same energy to himself would protect him from Semblances that affected him directly. He couldn't use both techniques at the same time, but they had helped him a lot since it's discovery.

The moment Cyane learned about it, she was told not to tell anyone. Unluckily for them, Neo was eavesdropping close by and was forced to take the same promise. She and Cyane had become close friends during the last 2 years, and while Roman Torchwick was one of Vale's most wanted thieves, Onyx didn't care as long as Roman didn't step in his way. In fact, his robberies took some attention off his shoulders from Ozpin, and seeing as how Roman kept casualties to a minimum, he let the elegant thief do his thing.

The last year and a half she had spent it trying to unlock her Semblance, and during one day after her 15th birthday, in the middle of the school year, she unlocked it! It was on a training one of the teams had requested against her, and as Onyx wanted to test her skills on an entire team, she accepted. Normally, thanks to 4 years of extreme training and another ring (the Hunter's Ring) she would be able to defeat an entire team, even if they were last years. But Onyx decided that she would go _without_ weapons.

The team in question, team CFVY, was one of the best 1st years, and the fight in itself was incredibly hard for both parts. The leader, Coco Adel, stayed back while Yatsuhashi Daichi took on the role of protecting the leader. The other two members, Fox Alistair and Velvet Scarlatina, sped forwards to attack her. The fight wasn't as one-sided as one would expect: Cyane was clever enough to put her attackers between her and Coco, even if the other two managed to get some hits in, and rush for her the moment she had a chance. However, she was stopped by Yatsuhashi. She tried to seize the opportunity and take the weapon out of his hands.

The moment she reached for his wrists, she used her Aura to strengthen her arms and tried to pry the weapon out of his hands. What happened next was completely unexpected: Yatsuhashi's Aura flared, but instead of protecting him from the damage, Cyane's Aura started absorbing it, replenishing her own and quickly weakening the young man. The young faunus snapped quickly out of the confusion, taking the fallen sword and canalizing her Aura through it, empowering the hit and sending Yatsu out of the arena, shattering his Aura.

The combat stopped in order to see if he had taken any wounds. He hadn't been harmed, but Cyane continued apologizing to the team until they were told he was fine. None of them blamed her for what happened but everyone was shocked at the recent events. Afterwards, and thanks to Ember, they discovered that it was her Semblance and how it worked: she could drain other's people Aura and use it to boost her own in different ways, like unleashing it in a explosion, and she could use the weapon she was using to the same effect, apart from the damage the weapon dealt by itself.

That brings them to the present day. Cyane had been working on the schematics for her personal weapon for the last month non-stop. With the practice from Onyx, she had become a master with sword and shield, and, surprisingly, with greataxes when she needed more of a punch. Now, she had handed the plans to the forgery at Beacon a week ago and was waiting for them to bring her finished weapon. With the help of Ember, she had managed to create a weapon that would fit her fighting style: quick movements and fast, unrelenting attacks with the sword and shield, and the use of reach and power when using a greataxe.

"You know…" Began Onyx, who was waiting alongside her, "I could just give you any weapons that you needed without the need to craft one."

"I know."

"And that most of them have equal or even better materials…"

"I know."

"And, while I don't dislike mechashift weapons, they can get tangled or broken or-"

"I know!" She shouted, startling the knight. "But this is my weapon, Onyx. It's my creation and seeing it complete means as much to me as your Black Knight weapons mean to you. So, please, stop complaining."

Onyx sighed. "I know. I'm sorry." He continued, "It's not that I don't want you to have your own weapon, but… it means that soon enough you won't need my training, nor me. After a little more training, you will be ready to face almost anything by yourself, and you will be free to go if you want."

Cyane simply hugged him. She had grown to reach her chest with her head, but she still liked to be carried in his shoulder, a habit Neo had taken to do in his right shoulder when he wasn't carrying a weapon. "Don't be an idiot, metal head. I made a promise I would stay with you and protect you, and I intend to keep it."

Onyx smiled and hugged back. They stood like that for a couple of minutes until the blacksmith came with her weapon. There were 3 master smiths in Beacon and he was the youngest. He took care of the creation of weapons and the addition of mods to them. He was quite the genius and was of great help to the academy, specially it's students. He was called Cerulean, but everyone just called him Cer.

"Well, this is it." He said, as he placed a giant box in the table they had in front of them. "Ozpin paid for everything, and I must say, Cyane, that your schematics were almost impeccable. I had to change a few of the pieces of the inner mechanisms for the combined form, but it works just the same. Why don't you give it a few practice swings to see if everything is in place?"

Cyane nodded quickly and reached to open the box. Inside was one of the most impressive weapons Onyx had ever seen. The first part of the weapon was a sword, but by length alone it was close to a greatsword. The handle was of silver coloring with blue cloth stripes in the grip. The pommel ended in a black, sharpened tip that could be used to hit someone that got too close for comfort. The cross-guard had a mechanism right before the start of the blade that couldn't be seen from outside, and both sides of the cross-guard ended in two short, metallic guards parallel to the main blade and the handle. The blade itself was completely black except the fuller and the central ridge that reached the end of the blade, which were red. One side of the blade was linear until the point, but the other side had a serrated edge which didn't reach the point of the blade. It would be quite brutal to cut someone with that edge.

The other part of the weapon was the one that occupied most of the box. It was an almost circular shield in form, but it was big enough that it reached from the ground to Cyane's chest. The shield's rim was black, sharp-edged and with spikes coming outwards every few centimeters. One of the spikes was longer and, when the shield was strapped, it pointed in the same direction of the arm. On the opposite side of the shield, the rim lost it's spikes and a line could be seen in the rim and part of the disk, signaling it could separate partially. In the inner part of the shield, two cannons could be seen pointing the same direction as the large spike, and underneath them was a thin opening which seemed to fit the sword. In the front of the shield was painted Cyane's new emblem: an eight-legged spider with 4 black eyes, with two creepy eyes and Cheshire grin in it's abdomen. Each leg ended in one of the smaller spikes, making them 9 counting the front one. The spider was painted white, while the rest of the disk and the details on the spider were a deep blue. The shield had an automatic strap made for the forearm, and a handle which had the trigger for the cannons and a couple of buttons.

Even with all of that, the shield was lighter that one would expect. She strapped the shield in her right arm and adjusted it. Unlike Onyx, she used her shield with the right hand and far more gresively than him, and he used his shield as a weapon _a_ _lot_. She pressed the trigger to test if the cannons worked, which they did even if they were empty. The cartridges could be inserted over the forearm easily and the guns themselves were made to use high caliber rounds. She then picked up the sword and gave a couple of quick slashes before inserting it in the shield and pressing one of the buttons. The front and rim of the shield turned 180 degrees and the sides collapsed as if they were fans from the un-spiked part towards the large spike and the canons, leaving a bulky but far more manageable sheathe. The cross-guards folded parallel on the blade, extending the handle.

She pressed the other button without taking out the sword and the shield extended again. The strap at her forearm retracted and the shield's collapsed towards the back of it. The part were the sword was attached extended to one side while the rest of the shield moved to the other, extending it's length. The shield and cannons ended in front of the extended sheathe and the sides of the shield separated themselves from the center, taking the form of a greataxe. As a final touch a trigger appeared from the handle of the sword, allowing the user to fire the guns at the end of the weapon. **(A.N.: think of something similar to a MH charge blade.)**

Cyane was smiling a little bit madly – Neo wasn't a good influence most of the time – while Onyx stared wide eyed and with his jaw on the floor. He had seen many students with giant weapons, but that the person that had created that was the same child he rescued so long ago left him baffled. The silence was broken by the laugh of Cer. "You really like it huh, kid?" Cyane just turned her head with a calmer smile and nodded. "Great! That means we both did a great work. Nevertheless, come here after giving the little beauties some test runs so I can check if everything works fine."

"Will do!" The man laughed at the enthusiasm of the small girl and left.

Onyx came back from his astonishment when Ember spoke. _'So, have you thought how are you going to name it?'_

Cyane nodded. "I had been thinking about it for a while. It's simple but I think it fits." She pressed the same button and the shield went back to it's original form. She unsheathed the blade. "Seeing as how we are fighting to save Remnant, I have three names: for the shield, Harmony; the sword, Entropy, and for the axe, Balance."

There were a few seconds of silence. Surprisingly, it was Ember that broke them with a chuckle. _'I like it. I think it fits our mission.'_ At that, Onyx could only nod. Suddenly, an idea came to mind.

"I have the perfect test." Cyane looked at him, curious as for what he had in mind. While he wasn't a professor officially, he helped the students outside of class with whatever issues he could handle. Sometimes, he would 'aid' Glynda ¡n combat training by facing against overly cocky students. He had earned a reputation of respect for some and fear for many.

"I believe team CFVY wants a rematch."

The grin on the spider faunus face confirmed his fears: she spent too much time with Neo.

* * *

 **A.N.: phew! This chapter was a pain to write, but I'm pleased with how it ended. Maybe a little bit rushed on some parts but I wanted you guys to have something this weekend.**

 **The hardest part was the weapon description. My brain had the great idea to add something similar to a charged blade, with a Semblance to accompained it. But trying to describe the weapon and still keep it somewhat real was fricking hard, I tell you.**

 **Appart from that, it seems Onyx has met a pair of Salem's servants and now he is in her radar. I wonder how that will turn out?**

 **The next official chapter will be with the trailers, at least some of them. Then we will enter V1 itself. For those who are confused, I'm trying to make a timeline for the show, as we don't have one apart from the episodes. I'm making each term 3 months, with 3 terms each year at Beacon. It starts on mid-september and ends in mid-june. As we don't see too much f that on the show, I apologize if it's not realistic, but we are talking about Remnant, where physics can be non-existant sometimes.**

 **Now, rewievs, or rewiev in this case:**

 **ObscureAbsurdity: it's fine, we all have bad days and I don't blame you. In fact, I should thank you, you made me realize that I was taking a very cliche turn for the story and I will try to fix that. As for more DS content, do not worry, I have some ideas in mind. Mua ha ha ha!**

 **On another note, I need more OCs. I can work without them, but it's your chance for a character or team to feature in the story. You already have the sheet in the other chapter if you feel up to it.**

 **That's it. Have a great day!**


	9. Interlude I

**A.N.: hello there! These little interludes will only feature OCs for now. If you want me to use it on the main characters as well, just say so.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Interlude**

 **Character sheet I**

 _Hello and welcome to the Huntsman Association Network and Development System!_

 _Please insert your username and password to begin._

 _Username:_ FireKnight34

 _Password:_ *******

 _Verifying… user accepted!_

 _Welcome back, Mr. Aureolis. What services would you like to access from HANDS?_

…

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 _Downloading Huntsman Service Card…_

…

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 _Y_ _/N_

 _Acknowledged._

 _Loading first Service Card…_

 _Archive loaded._

 **Name (official name according to the CCTS):** Aureolis, Onyx.

 **Species (Human or Faunus, and the traits of the latter):** human (?).

 **Age:** unknown.

 **Title/s (tittles or aliases acquired during the career of Huntsman or Huntress):** The Black Knight, The Knight.

 **Active time (time of active duty as a Huntsman or Huntress):** 5 years.

 **Training (training and studies for preparation as a Huntsman or Huntress):** no studies in Huntsmen Academies, personal training for unknown years.

 **Current contract/mission:** Head of Security at Beacon Academy for Huntsman and Huntresses, City of Vale, Vale.

 **Missions taken (number of missions accepted, as well as successes and failures, and deaths of companions):** 48 missions accepted, 48 missions successful, 0 missions failed, 0 teammates/fellow hunters lost during missions.

 **Team (actual or during the stay at one of the academies):** no team known of, usual partnership with The Mischievous Spider.

 **Rank (classification according to tests and successful missions and their difficulty, ranges from D-10 to SSS):** SSS rank huntsman.

 **Weapon/s:** several one-form weapons, no mechashift weapons known of. Preference with weapon type named 'Black Knight weapons'.

 **Aura levels (approximation of the amount of Aura, from extremely low to extremely high):** extremely high.

 **Semblance:** unknown specifications. Given name: Eternal Energy.

 **Achievements (accomplishments during the career as a Huntsman or Huntress. Not the same as titles):** several high class Grimm killed, ranging from S-class to SS-class, including 4 Goliaths and several Elder Grimm. Two SSS-class Grimm killed: one Elder Kraken, nicknamed The Ocean's Nightmare; one pack of Elder Beringels, nicknamed Death's Followers. 4 rouge huntsmen eliminated, 3 captured. 7 bandit tribes dispersed.

 _Loading second Service Card…_

 _Archive loaded._

 **Name:** Mika, Cyane.

 **Species:** Faunus, spider traits.

 **Age:** 15 years.

 **Title/s:** The Mischievous Spider, The White Widow.

 **Active time:** 3 years.

 **Training:** partial studies in Beacon Academy, training under the Black Knight for 5 years.

 **Current contract/mission:** Second in Command at the Security Wing at Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses, City of Vale, Vale.

 **Missions taken:** 19 missions take, 18 missions successful, 1 mission failed (target escaped, eliminated in future mission), 0 teammates/fellow huntsmen lost during missions.

 **Team:** no team known of, usual partnership with The Black Knight.

 **Rank:** A1-class rank huntress, awaiting exam for S-class rank promotion.

 **Weapon/s:** one mechashift weapon detected. Greataxe Balance, dividable in sword (Entropy) and shield (Harmony).

 **Aura levels:** high.

 **Semblance:** her Semblance allows Miss Mika to absorb other person's Aura and use it for her own purposes. The abilities range from healing to explosions of energy at her command. She can use her own to trigger the different abilities, but at a great cost of her own Aura. The Semblance allows her to drain enemies with her weapons and use them as channels for her skills. Given name: Spider's Poison.

 **Achievements:** several S-class Grimm killed, including 1 Goliath and 5 Elder Grimm. One SSS-class Grimm killed: Elder Kraken, nicknamed The Ocean's Nightmare. 2 rogue huntsmen captured.

 _Saving files…_

 _Files saved._

 _Do you wish to continue operations with the HANDS?_

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 _Y_ _/N_

 _Thank you for using HANDS: the connection between Huntsmen and Huntresses!_

 _Until next time!_

 _Disconnecting…_

* * *

 **A.N.: so, during this week I've been having ideas for other stories to write here. I won't start a new one anytime soon, but if I find myself with the time and will to begin something new, I already have a couple of ideas.**

 **The next chapter will be published as soon as possible, but I have two exams in wednesday, so I make no promises.**

 **Have a great day!**


	10. Chapter VII

**A.N.: hello there! I'm alive, yay! I decided to take a small rest from my exams and I started writting this on friday (I blame the D2 Forsaken DLC for the delay). I did say we would be in the beggining of the series on the next chapter so this one is the time of the trailers, at least one of them.**

 **More about the story and OCs at the A.N. at the end. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter VII**

 **New faces, old powers**

The sound of the bullhead was the only thing that reached his ears while he arrived at Beacon. He was going to have a little talk with Ozpin after this. Send him on missions? Sure. Working as security and assisting the teachers from time to time? No problem. But the one moment Cyane needed to talk and Ozpin shows to have the _worst_ timing possible.

It wasn't the first mission Cyane and him did covertly. But it was the first one she faced enemies that wouldn't surrender. The White Fang in that base put to shame the word 'fanatic'. Luckily, they managed to kill (or in Cyane's case, knock out) all the resistance they encountered until the alarm was given. Cyane split herself from him and searched the base for the leader. He dealt with the assailants quickly and went after her. Good news: she found the leader and defeated him. Bad news: she had to kill him in self defense.

When he reached her, she was standing in front of the corpse in a room of the warehouse they were using as base. Entropy was dripping blood and the man in the ground had a hole in his chest, coating the floor around it in blood. Hearing his footsteps, she turned around with a scared face. She had seen the corpses left by Onyx from time to time, but this was her first kill. She had drops of blood in her face and chest, and her face showed the indecision and confusion that flowed with the rest of her emotions.

Onyx approached her and simply hugged each other. "I-I d-din't want t-to…" Those were the only words she managed to spat out. She didn't cry, but the memories and trauma were coming back strong. He managed to calm her, but he warned that this may happen again in the future. They can't always choose what lives to give or take, and this could have gone much worse. "I know. It just… I wasn't prepared. I think I need some time."

"Good." He said, confusing Cyane. "I would be much more worried if you didn't feel anything, or worse, if you liked it." She nodded with a faint smile. "Don't let this change you, please."

She shook her head, "I won't. Not with you around, metal head."

It was at that moment that Ozpin called him back, without giving him any details, but saying it was of extreme urgency. Cyane told him that she would be okay and that she was going to be with Neo. Onyx had seen the two of them grow as close as if they were family, and if he couldn't help her now, she would.

Back in the present, the bullhead touched ground and he immediately jumped down. When he looked around, he found Glynda walking towards him, bur Ember spoke before she reached them. _'Something's wrong. Very wrong.'_

' _What do you mean?'_ Asked Onyx.

' _I can feel the presence of a Maiden, but it's.. strange. Incomplete and damaged.'_ That sent Onyx on edge. _'Be on your guard.'_

Glynda arrived, but her stern face showed worry. "Follow me. I'll explain on the way."

Onyx nodded and proceeded to walk alongside her. "We have a problem, and we think Ember can help us."

"I hope is worth it." Answered Onyx. "Cyane needed someone to talk to and I had to come here without details."

"This is far more important than a teenager crisis."

"She killed someone." That made the headmistress stop in her tracks and look at him with worry. The staff at Beacon had taken Cyane as their little helper, making all of them grow close to her, almost as a family. Hearing this was worrisome. "She did it in self defense from the leader of the operation we stopped. She isn't taking it very well. She went with a friend when I came here."

"Oh… I'm sorry, I didn't know." She kept walking. "But I assure you, that can wait. We have a problem. " They reached the CCTS tower, which was oddly empty. She called the elevator and turned to him. "The Fall Maiden has been attacked." Onyx turned his helmet to her, but only sighed. "Seeing your reaction, I suppose Ember already felt something."

The elevator arrived and he nodded while he entered. "Something like that. How grave is it?"

Onyx wasn't surprised to see the elevator go down. He had already stepped into the vault under Beacon, but there wasn't too much of use for him down there, for now. "I don't know. Ozpin and Qrow know more details." They reached the vault as she said that.

Onyx groaned mentally at the mention of Qrow. He didn't care too much about the man, but ever since their first meeting in Tealle, Qrow had been wary around him and didn't stop sending him dangerous looks. Not that he cared, but it was annoying to stand it every time they were in the same room. And it seemed that this year her niece, Yang Xiao-Long, was going to apply to Beacon, intensifying the glares and warnings from Qrow.

In the vault, they turned a few corners and arrived at a smaller room. The room resembled a hospital one, with a white bed on the middle and several machines attached to the girl in it. Ozpin and Qrow turned when they entered the room. The first one was as serious as always, but this time, a frown greeted him from the usually calm man. On the other hand, Qrow initiated the glare mode that Onyx was sure he had installed just for him.

"I'm glad you could make it in such short notice." Ozpin spoke as the door to the room closed. "I apologize for the suddenness but, as you can see, we have quite the problem in our hands." He turned to Qrow, "Tell them what we know."

Qrow nodded and started explaining, drinking something from his flask from time to time. "Ozpin asked me to watch over the Amber here while she moved to Vale. I contacted her, but she said she didn't need my protection. Kid is good and all, but she is stubborn as a bull and values her freedom." He sipped and looked down to his flask. "She managed to give me the slip off during one night. When I woke up, I went after her and found her being attacked by 3 people. I didn't manage to get a good view on them, but I would recognize them if I see them again. Two of them were women, one with green hair and the other one with black. The last one, a boy, seemed to have a grey theme to his clothes."

Onyx stopped him for a moment. "Why didn't you fight them?"

Qrow just shook his head. "They were doing something to Amber, with a _Grimm_." That made Onyx and Glynda straighten up. "Yeah. When I managed to cut it off her face," he said, pointing to the scar that covered a great part of it, "she was unconscious and I needed to get her the hell away from there as fast as possible."

Ozpin took it from there. "We do not know the identity of these attackers, but what if Qrow sais is true, then it appears _she_ has already made a move." He turned to Onyx. "I have called General Ironwwod about this and he will send a machine that would allow us to not only stabilize her, but also transfer her powers to a different person. But I would like for you or Ember to try and help her as much as you can."

Onyx looked to the woman in the bed. She was young, and appeared to be in so much pain. Before he could answer, Qrow cut in. "Are you sure we can trust him on this? I don't like Jimmy too much, but his scientist are top notch. Meanwhile, he" Qrow pointed at Onyx, "doesn't trust us and could easily murder her if he wanted."

Onyx patience wore out and stepped closer to him, putting his finger on the man's chest. " _You_ have already failed, not once, but twice. Even if she didn't want your help, you should have, at the very least, tracked her scroll down, because I know for a fact that you can do it. And then you go and let her get attacked. I don't think I'm the one who needs to be questioned here." He turned to the girl in the bed and stepped closer. "In fact, what would Ember or me gain from killing her? Give the powers to the attacker? Sure, because I want _Salem_ of all people to have access to them. I rather try to help her than leave her to die and transfer her powers to a new girl, binding her to a life of secrets and death."

Ozpin nodded. "I would rather like that too. It's okay Qrow, he is our best bet for now." Ozpin turned back to Onyx. "We don't know why she is still in coma. All her readings show she should be fine, but she doesn't wake up and seems to be in pain."

Onyx walked to Amber's side and reached to her shoulder. "I'll se what Ember can do." He flared his Aura and let it connect to the girl's. _'Ember, do you sense anything?'_

' _Hmm…'_ The fire responded, _'Her soul is damaged. Badly. And as I felt before, her power has been halved. But there is something more. Give me a moment.'_ At those words, Onyx's Aura started moving towards Amber. A few seconds passed and Ember spoke again, with a serious tone. _'We have a problem.'_

Onyx raised an eyebrow at that. _'Another one?'_

' _Yes.'_ Answered the flame. _'There is a literal Grimm attached to her soul. It can not be seen physically, but it is there, stopping her from healing and making her suffer.'_ Onyx was taken by surprise by this, but let the little fire continue. _'If we take it out, she would start healing. But her powers are another matter entirely. I can't recreate them nor bring them back without being in contact with the other half or killing the one who has them.'_

Onyx nodded. _'We can deal with that later. For now, do you think you are capable of taking the Grimm out?'_

' _Pfft. What kind of eternal being would I be if a pathetic Grimm could stop me? Let's begin.'_ Ember entered the soul of the girl, careful not to damage it with it's power unintentionally. The other people in the room waited in silence, watching, as Onyx's Aura changed colors from a dark yellow to a bright white, doing the same with Amber. A few seconds passed in silence and expectation. Then, the white Aura removed itself from the girl back to Onyx slowly. When it reached his hand, something started to appear from Amber's shoulder alongside the Aura.

The Grimm materialized from there to the surprise and shock from everyone in the room except Onyx. The creature, resembling a bug, ended in the unescapable metal gauntlet of Onyx, trashing about and screeching in surprise and fear. "A Grimm?! But how?!" Glynda spoke.

"We don't know, but my best guess is that it was inserted in her soul when Qrow cut it from the attacker." Answered Onyx, with the Grimm still in his hand. With no effort, he closed his hand and squashed the monster in a mere instant., and leaving his palm covered in Grimm innards until they dissolved completely.

Qrow shook his head in confusion. "Wait, wait, wait. Did you say that it was in her soul?!"

It was Ozpin who answered that question. "That would explain why the machines didn't detect any anomalies. We had never seen anything like it before. Which means that it was created for this very purpose."

Onyx looked at the girl. Her face was calmer and her breathing was steady. The machines showed her Aura was recovering, but it was very slowly. _'I would have given her soul a little power, but I didn't want to risk it with her weakened state.'_ Said Ember.

"Her powers are still divided. We can't do anything about it, at least not without the attacker." Said Onyx.

"I see…" Ozpin seemed in thought for a moment. "Then I will still keep the machine just in case she can't fight or we end up needing it." He turned to Onyx and smiled. While Ember and him still didn't trust the Headmaster, they weren't as wary of him as before. "Thank you both. This is more than any of us could have done."

Onyx nodded and looked back to the girl. He hoped that she would recover. Stopping for a moment, he wondered how Cyane was doing. Knowing her and Neo, they most surely went to Junior's club to talk. Neo already could drink and when Cyane was given taste, she vowed to never have it again. And while Neo could hold her own drinking, that made Cyane the unofficial 'Neo carrier' the few times the ice-cream themed girl would be too drunk to go back home.

"I'll be taking my leave. I want to see how Cyane is holding up." Ozpin sent him a questioning look. "I'll give you the details later."

Meanwhile, in Junior's everybody was having fun, drinking and dancing to the sound of the music. Well, everyone except 2 girls sitting at one of the sides of the bar. When Cyane called Neo, they decided to go shopping and to retrieve a package for Cyane to get the spider faunus thoughts away from her first kill. It worked relatively well, specially when she picked up the clothes she ordered from a store that specialized in making outfits for hunters, both human and faunus.

The store had taken her measurements and discussed the ideas with her, ending in the final design. While the store was expensive, specially if you wanted your clothes personalized, the job at Beacon of Oryx paid extremely well. Her new apparel consisted of a long-sleeved, dark blue shirt, with 3 buttons close to the neck. The trousers she wore were black with two wide blue lines on each leg. They were comfortable but resistant, letting her move freely. The combat boots that came with the outfit were black, and were designed to allow movement through any type of environment. By her request, the boots could be magnetized into surfaces, helping her in case she needed to climb somewhere. While she could use her spider extremities or even her hands to do that naturally, a little safeguard was appreciated. They used Dust to power themselves up and she could redirect that Dust to use it during combat in her kicks. In the back of the belt she wore, Balance was stripped diagonally: enough so she could reach the handle under her hips but without blocking her spider legs or impeding movement.

The most remarkable part though was the long coat. It was specially made for her and her traits. The coat hung like a cape from a chain on her neck, reaching to her shins. What made this long coat special was how it adapter to her extra extremities: her upper ones were fit into the sleeves of it, leaving only a barely visible tip at the end she uses to snatch into surfaces; her lower ones he were inserted in straps in the inside back of the coat, reaching almost to the end of it. The interior of the coat was completely black, making very hard to spot the lower legs. On the outside, it was a pale shade of white with golden trimmings resembling those of Onyx's armor around the edges and back of the coat. It was imbued with Dust and the ends of both sleeves were made of an sharp, silver edge capable of being used as a weapon thanks to her extra legs. The lower end of the coat was the same, allowing to use the coat as a defense or a weapon if she chose to.

The rest of the day was relatively calm, but when the shopping spree ended, Cyane memories came back and Neo invited her to the club to talk. Now, both of them sitting in the bar, were trying to enjoy their drinks. "I killed him, Neo. " She said, the other girl listening while drinking from her vase. "If it's the right thing to do, why does it feel so… wrong?"

Neo sighed and placed down her drink. Picking up her scroll, she started writing. _'Calm down. You are having a normal reaction to what happened.'_ She continued. _'Onyx is right, I would be worried if you took a liking to it.'_

Cyane smiled. "Pfft, what, like you?"

Neo punched her slightly in the shoulder. _'No, I don't like killing people, but I do have to maintain a reputation of cute, small and psychopath, even if I'm only 2 of those.'_

"Small and psychopath?" Answered Cyane with a smug grin.

Neo rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide her smile. _'What I'm trying to say is that it is good that you are reacting like this. I won't lie, I doubt it would get easier, but you will have to do it again in the future.'_

Cyane sighed. "I know." She took a deep breath and spoke. "You are right. It won't get easier but I'm not going to stop now." She picked up her drink and turned to Neo. "For the future." Neo nodded and clinked their drinks before taking a sip from them.

A figure approached both of them meanwhile. "Well, if it isn't my favorite employee and her best friend." The man turned to Cyane. "You definitely look better than before. I suppose Neo has that effect on people. That or she kills them. Fifty-fifty I would say." The man smirked and twirled his cane.

Neo only stuck her tongue out while Cyane giggled. "Yeah, she is the greatest friend I could ask. What about you, Roman?"

Roman rested Melodic Cudgel on his shoulder. "Ah, you know, same old, same old. I actually came here to tell Neo that I'm already leaving. If you want to stay longer, suit yourself."

The girl in question nodded and Roman directed himself to the spider girl once more. "I seriously like your new style, Spidey. You gotta tell me the store." He shrugged. "I still think it is missing a good hat, though."

Cyane rested one arm on the bar and smiled. "I'll tell you if you promise not to rob it."

The thief gasped and brought a hand to his chest, making it look as if he was hurt. "You hurt me, Spidey. Even the knight has more trust in me than you."

Cyane rolled her eyes. "I seriously doubt that."

"Well, whatever you kids do, have fun and look good while doing it. See you at the hideout later, Neo." He waved as he departed through the back door, but Cyane noticed the worry in Neo's face when Roman wasn't looking.

She laid a hand on her shoulder. "All you alright? You look worried, and for something to worry cute, small and psychopath it must be something big."

Neo sighed and started writing. _'It's the new boss. She's got Roman scared to hell and forth, and there is something about it that makes me feel uncomfortable.'_ She looked behind Cyane for a moment and smiled. _'Although not as bad as Junior right now.'_ Cyane looked confused until Neo pointed behind her.

Just as Neo had said, Junior was being held by the balls by a beautiful blonde. The men that approached the scene seemed to make her stop, but she followed Junior to the dancefloor. For a moment there, it would seem that they were about to kiss, but out of nowhere, the girl punches Junior to the other side of the club, knocking him out and making everyone on the dancefloor run away. The girl extended her weapons, a couple of golden gauntlets, while the men approaching her prepared to fight.

"Wow, that was a good punch." Neo nodded, although she appeared unimpressed. "Although, I can't blame her, everyone wants to punch Junior sometimes. Let's go see that he has nothing broken. If he gets hurt we may loose the club and we will have to search for another place to meet."

Neo wrote her answer. _'And here I thought you were actually caring for him.'_

"Pfft, nah. He probably deserved it." They stood up from their seats and walked around the battle in the middle of the club as if nothing was happening around them. They reached Junior quickly, even if they had to dodge a few of his unconscious goons.

Neo crouched on his left while Cyane did the same on the right. "Wakey, wakey, mister sleepy. Someone is ruining your club." She said as Neo slapped him a couple of times.

"Wh-wha-" He was cut off by the sound of a machine gun going off from the DJ's platform. The three of them turned to see how the blonde reached to the attacker and threw him back to the lower level, where Miltia and Melanie had arrived. "Grrr! I'll make that bitch pay, both in money and in pain."

Cyane just shook her head. "Calm down, Junior. She seems strong enough to beat the shit out of everyone in here except us." She pointed at herself and Neo, directing her next words to her. "Mind if I fight her? I need to distract myself for a little while."

' _Sure.'_ She wrote. _'Have fun ;)'_

"Wait. Are you sure you can take her on?" Asked a still dazed Junior, to which she simply nodded. "Fine. Just make sure-"

"She pays." Cyane cut him off. "Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time." She rose up and walked to the center of the room. There the fight was close to finishing. Miltia was out of combat, and while the sisters were good fighters, she doubted Melanie could win against such an opponent.

Her doubts where confirmed when the blonde girl elbowed her in the stomach and twirled her around, finishing with a kick to the face. The lights faded out and the music changed. Looking to the controls, she found Neo giving her a thumbs up while Junior managed them. A spotlight turned on pointing at her and she smiled when the blonde girl turned around. You could say whatever you wanted about Junior, but he was great for giving a spectacle.

"You know," she begun, "I honestly don't care too much about all of this," she opened her arms, showing the mess of a club they were in, "but it is the place where I meet my friend usually and I need to hit something for a while." Her grin became wider, almost predatory. "I think you will do."

The blondie just readied her gauntlets and ran towards Cyane. The spider girl just pulled out her shield and sword and let Harmony block the powerful punch. What the blonde girl didn't expect was to feel a little bit weaker after touching the shield, nor for her Aura to flare and start flowing towards the shield.

She managed to block a hit from the sword, but skidded backwards because of the strength of it. Looking back to the other girl, she caught her smile while she rested the sword on her shoulder. Her two left eyes winked at her a second before the faunus launched at her with an incredible speed.

Cyane charged and fainted a slash with her sword before hitting the blonde girl with the large spike in the shield, right at the girl's side. Before she could react, Cyane charged her Semblance on the shield and fired the canons, sending the blonde flying. She managed to land, only to be assaulted relentlessly by the spider girl. Her aggressive use of the shield combined with quick slashes made her enemies be in the defensive during all the fight. Add to that her Spider's Poison and the quick movements and kicks around her foe and you had an unstopping attack that leaves almost no room to counter.

The rings she wore also did their part on making her far more powerful than even full fledged huntsmen.

The blonde girl was completely trapped, taking a beating she didn't expect. Thinking quickly, she shot both of her weapons at the floor, launching herself up and backwards, gaining some respite. The faunus stopped her attack but not her mischievous smile. She didn't know why her hits took so much of her Aura, but that allowed her to activate her Semblance much quicker. She smiled back at the four eyed faunus and punched her fists together, an explosion of heat coming from her and igniting her hair in fire.

So her semblance, huh? Cyane examined it for a second before she readied her next and final move. She hadn't seen too much from the previous fight of the blonde brawler, but seeing as how her fists where almost on fire like her hair, she guessed it would allow her to empower her hits. Unluckily for the blondie, Cyane hadn't lost almost anything of her Aura and what she did lost in using it, she recharged with the stolen energy from the girl. That still left her with a good amount of stolen Aura for her use.

The blonde shot her gauntlets backwards and propelled herself to Cyane once more. Her right fist was reeled back ready for an explosive finisher. It would have been the case if it wasn't because she was facing someone trained by the Black Knight. Instead of panicking or dodging, she lowered herself and rose Harmony, putting her Semblance on it, ready to take the hit. For the blonde, it was foolishness. She knew that her strength would break the faunus defense and leave her open for an attack. For Cyane, it made a single word came to mind in order to describe the now to be short fight with the brawler.

 _Predictable._

The fist collided with the shield, and an explosion occurred, blinding momentarily the blonde girl. To her unpleasant surprise, the shield hadn't moved a single inch. Cyane took this moment to act in a single, swift motion. She turned left, bringing her shield and the girls hand with her, making the blondie loose balance for a second. It was all she needed, as she inserted her sword in the shield, both of them transforming into Balance while she used the Ice Dust infused coat to hit the girl's feet, freezing her in place. She completed her 360 degree turn by dragging the greataxe through the floor ,as Onyx had done several timed before, and hitting the girl with all the remaining stolen Aura in one single explosion, sending her flying back and shattering her Aura when she impacted on the wall to the side of the club's entrance.

The music stopped and Neo brought her scroll up with a big number 10 on it. Cyane turned around and bowed. "Thank you, thank you! No encores, I'm afraid." She turned to the downed girl. "I don't think she can take it."

At that moment a red hooded figure entered the club. She was small and looked around until she turned to the blonde and gasped. "Sis!" The new girl ran to the still recovering blonde. Cyane raised an eyebrow. They looked nothing alike, but she wasn't going to reach conclusions without asking. She walked towards the two of them while Neo made to follow, jumping down to the stage. "Yang! Are you okay?! What happened?!"

Yang brought a hand to her head. "I think I'm fine."

Cyane reached the two of them with Neo behind. "As for your other question, I think _I_ can answer it." She still kept Balance on her shoulder, and a more calm smile on her face.

"I got into a fight with her." Yang answered.

"Correction: it was a beat down, not a fight. I'm leagues above you." Said Cyane.

Neo wrote on her scroll for all to see. _'Wow. Bragging much?'_

Cyane frowned at her friend. "Hey! Give me a break. It's been a weird day to say the least. I think I deserve to brag of a victory for once."

"If it is only this once I think I can allow it." Everyone turned to the new voice. There stood Onyx, who had just entered the club. "I thought I would found you both here. How are you doing?" He looked to what remained of the club. "Well, apart from destroying the entire place."

"Hey! For your information, I didn't start it." Cyane pointed to Yang, who was raising herself up, as her red hooded sister was gawking at Onyx. "She did." Neo nodded and Yang looked afraid to the knight, not knowing who he was, but feeling smaller because of him.

"But you joined it." He said, knowing the answer.

Cyane laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head with her free hand. "Weeell, I was feeling kinda down and decided to have some fun." She retracted her weapon and grappled it on the back of her belt.

Onyx sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

' _I'm honestly impressed with her fight. I didn't intervene and she still managed to analyze her opponent and defeat her.'_ Ember spoke in Onyx's head.

Before the conversation could continue, a red blur launched itself in front of Onyx, leaving rose petals behind. "You're him!" The small girl screamed. "You are the Black Knight. Oh, your armor is so cool. Where did you get it? Do you have your weapons with you? What Grimm have you hunted? Is there one that gave you trouble? Oh! Maybe the rogue huntsmen did!"

' _How can she speak so much without breathing?!'_ Onyx though.

"Hey." He said, putting a hand in her shoulder. "Calm down. I can't answer anything if you don't let me. Or if you pass out because of the lack of oxygen." He said with a small chuckle. What he didn't expect was to Ember to react to him touching the girl.

' _Onyx, this child…'_ Ember was cut off by Yang.

"Ruby, breathe. He can't answer anything if you keep up like this." She turned to Onyx. "Nice armor. Wouldn't mind seeing what's beneath it." She said with a grin.

"Yaaaaaaang!" Ruby groaned while turning a slight red in her cheeks. "You don't even know who he is!"

"No idea. Why don't you take your helmet off and enlighten us?"

' _We'll talk later, Onyx. Just… see if you can find where she lives.'_ Onyx was confused by the reaction of Ember, but agreed nonetheless.

"Fine." He took of his helmet and Yang whistled. He was rather handsome, even if he technically was hundreds of years old.

"Now I'm even _more_ interested to see under the armor." Yang said.

"Ugh, Yang, do you even know where he works? I think you should care." Scolded her sister.

"Why?"

"Because he is the head security at Beacon!"

"… wait, what?!" She suddenly realized all the problems she might get in… and that _he_ would be the one to 'punish' her. "Well, maybe I'll get myself in some trouble just to see you, good looking."

Onyx grew tired of this. "No. No you shouldn't." His tone ended all her flirting games. "So you are going to Beacon, then. What's your complete name?"

Yang laughed nervously. "Awww, c'mon teach, lets not get out of-"

Seeing an opportunity to have some payback at her sister, Ruby answered. "Yang Xiao-Long," She said, her sister looking utterly betrayed. "and I'm Ruby Rose. Can I get your autograph?"

Before Onyx could respond, Cyane climbed to his shoulder. While she was almost as tall as Ozpin now, she didn't weight too much and Onyx had grown accustomed to her and Neo being on his shoulders at the same time. "Wait, you said you were sisters…"

"Oh, yeah, that confuses people. We are only half-sisters, really." Cyane nodded at Ruby's statement.

"Miss Xiao-Long, I hope I don't have to keep an eye on you during your stay at Beacon." He leaned closer to her, his golden eyes glaring at her. "Because if I do, you will regret having wished to spend time close to me. Understood?"

Yang nodded quickly. "Y-yes, sir"

"Sorry about my sister. She tends to be a little hot-headed." She reached closer to Yang and left a hand in her shoulder. "But she is a good person, I promise."

Onyx kept his unmoving look for a few tense seconds, before chuckling and putting his helmet back on. "I know. I'm just kidding. I also have to take care of quite the troublemaker here." He said, pointing at Cyane.

"Hey! This 'troublemaker has saved your butt more times than you can count." She answered while Neo took the chance and jumped to Onyx right shoulder.

Ruby's silver eyes suddenly went wide. "Wait, if you are the Black Knight, then you" she pointed at Cyane, "must be the Mischievous Spider!" She gasped. "I need both of your autographs!" She looked at Yang. "Wait…"She pointed at her and gasped again. "YOU FOUGHT HER AND DIDN'T INVITE ME! Ooohh, that could have been so cool! You would go 'pow!' 'bang!' and I would have went 'sching!' 'wacha!' and then-"

"Ruby, calm down. It happened by surprise, I didn't even know she was here." Yang said.

"Yeah, and it was more of beat down than a fight." Replied Cyane, earning an angry look from Yang. "Although I'm not surprised she didn't recognize me. I don't give the look of professional huntress exactly."

"Wait, you must be around my age. How are you so strong?" Asked Yang.

"Almost 16 and I wasn't trained on Beacon." That left both of the sisters wide eyed. "Well, I _did_ unofficially study there but all the combat training came from this metal head over here." She said, pointing at Onyx.

"Oh, that's so cool!" Ruby was the first to recover from the shock. "I thought you were older, but you are as old as me!" She blurred in front of Onyx. "Can you train me, please? I want to be the strongest huntress of Remnant and-"

"Why?" He asked.

"Huh?"

"Why do you want to be that strong?"

Ruby answered with a smile. "To protect people, to save the day. It's what huntsmen and huntresses do, after all."

Onyx stood there for a moment. "Heh. You have your heart in the right place. Maybe when you enter Beacon I can help you." Her smile widened. "But if you are as old as my partner here, you are still two years away. And you can not allow yourself to slack off."

She lowered her head. "I know." Ruby turned to her sister. "You are so lucky."

Yang simply stepped forward and covered Ruby's head with her hood. "Heh. Isn't my sister the best?"

Ruby stuck her tongue out to her sister, but Neo got her attention by typing in her scroll. _'I think she's cute.'_ That made Ruby blush and hide her face in her hood while Yang and the other two girls laughed.

"Well, it's been a pleasure." Onyx begun. "But we need to get back to Beacon and Neo needs to get back to her… home." He looked at Yang. "And you, please, don't make my job harder than it already is. If you destroy anything I'm the one who has to do the paperwork."

The girl in question just smiled and shrugged. "No promises." Onyx sighed and turned with the two girls on his shoulders. "And I want a rematch with you, ermm…"

"Oh, right! I'm Cyane and the real name of big, dark and mysterious here is Onyx." She spoke from his shoulder. "And I would _love_ to pound you into the ground again."

"We'll see about that, spider girl." She answered with a smile before the trio stepped out of the club.

Neo left shortly after and the two picked a late bullhead back to Beacon. Normally, the line between the city and the academy only lasted up to the beginning of the night, but during weekends it was continued all day and night, and teachers could request one if needed. And while they normally would have gone to their home instead of the academy, the classes were beginning in less than two weeks and Onyx was needed there to help the organization, specially this year with the Vytal Tournament coming along. The last one was on Atlas, so he didn't needed to take care of much. And while Cyane could stay at their home and take care of herself, she preferred to help the staff and be with Onyx.

"By the way," Cyane spoke as they boarded the bullhead, "why did Ozpin call you? What happened?"

Onyx checked that the pilot wasn't listening and begun. "Do you remember what Ember told you about the Maidens?" Cyane nodded, having listened to the explanation of the Relics and the Maidens from the little flame. "The Fall Maiden was attacked and half of her power was extracted from her."

Cyane went wide-eyed and gasped. "That's horrible!" She half-whispered, half-shouted. "Is she okay?"

Onyx crossed his arms in front of his chest. "It's complicated. She was infected with a Grimm that Ember pulled out and she is healing, but the attacker seems to have the other half of her powers." Onyx said. "And if they used a Grimm, then that can mean only one thing."

' _Salem.'_ Answered Ember with a displeased tone. _'But I honestly doubt she did that personally. It must have been one of her lackeys, and it must have been a woman to be able to take the powers of the Maiden.'_ Ember sighed. _'As for the girl, she is safe but we must wait for her to wake up to question her.'_

Cyane looked down, worried by this new information. While Ember had informed her of everything they were facing against, she couldn't help but feel troubled by these news. "And what are we going to do?"

Onyx closed his eyes, thinking. "She has made a move, and I don't know what Ozpin will do, or if he will even do anything." He stopped for a moment. "She has an army of Grimm and the fools under her command. Ozpin has his schools and huntsmen as cannon fodder for protecting his interests. We can't have an army like them: it would take too long and it would be too obvious." He turned her head to Cyane. "But that doesn't mean we need to do this alone."

"We need a team." Cyan caught on quickly.

' _Correct. We haven't been idle for these 5 years. While we haven't recruited anyone, we have some… candidates, so to speak. They are not only strong, but I know they will side with us if they are revealed the truth.'_

Cyane nodded. She would help them in every step of the way. After all, they were in this together. "By the way," he said, picking up something from his endless pouch, "I don't like you going around destroying private property, but I think that, after today, you've earned it."

It was another ring, and Ember had carefully chosen this one. It was called the Farron Ring. Ember said that it would allow her to use her Semblance much more effectively, making use of less Aura. When she inserted the ring in her finger, she didn't feel a change, but Onyx explained that it would only change the amount of Aura she needed to use her Semblance when she didn't have stolen energy to use. It would come in handy against the Grimm and some stronger opponents.

The bullhead arrived at Beacon and they headed to their respective rooms, one beside the other. Onyx sat on his bed and sighed. This was going to be an interesting year. But Ember had something to add. _'Onyx, the girl of the club, Ruby, she is the one I spoke you about.'_

"You are going to need to be a little bit more specific, my friend."

' _Ejem, right, sorry.'_ He continued. _'When you awoke I told you about a power that I located in the island close Vale, Patch.'_ Onyx nodded. Ember had mentioned it briefly, but had lost track of the power later on, crossing it out as a mistake. _'I noticed it when you touched her. She has a lot of light in her soul, more than anyone in this world. Well, expect me, of course.'_

"Do you think she knows about it?"

' _If she did, it didn't show, and I didn't manage to get into her mind. I could access her soul, but I didn't have time to get her memories.'_ Ember said. _'Nevertheless, when the time comes, we must protect her, and if she doesn't know her powers, help her unlock them and use them'_

"And Ozpin? Do you think he knows?" Onyx voiced his concerns.

' _I think he does, at least some of it.'_ Ember hummed in thought for a moment. _'If he doesn't step in our way, then leave him to his own devices. But if he does, stop him.'_ Ember turned even more serious. _'Ozpin may be our ally, but he doesn't have his priorities straight. Do not let him stop us from restoring balance.'_

Onyx nodded. "Don't worry. I'll do what I must, but I will try to not kill him. His death may cause consequences upon us." He looked outside the window to the starred sky and the beautiful, shattered moon. "Plus, you were the one to tell me to kill only when needed."

' _Indeed I did.'_ Ember said. _'Indeed, I did, my good friend…'_

During that night, the sounds in a part of the Forever Fall forest ceased. The birds didn't chirp nor did the squirrels move through the trees. Every insect and small animal had fled the place, alongside every other living being in the area. All except the Grimm and the plants had ran to other zones in the forest. It wasn't for the lack of food or water. Neither because of the climate or the hand of mankind or the Faunus. No, it was something more primordial, in the inside of every single being. Even the trees laid still, only moved by the small gust of wind here or there.

They were moved by _fear._

But it wasn't the Grimm. These had no interest in animals unless the last ones initiated the fight, and it almost always ended in favor of the dark creatures. What had terrified every being in that part of the forest was indeed darkness, but not the twisted Grimm. No, this darkness was pure and uncontained, spreading from a small cave at the very edge of the forest. It was a dark and slightly purple mass, expanding more and more, reaching into everything it touched. But it didn't destroy it, instead it forced everything into a cold embrace, turning the leaves, trees and the land itself into a black color, with lines of purple pulsating through it.

Curiously, the Grimm where not accepted in it. No, if they reached into this estrange but almost familiar entity, the darkness would trap them and consume them, while they screamed or trashed around. The elder ones stepped away almost immediately, but the younger ones would keep trying, from attacking to simply walking towards it, it always ended in their slow and painful deaths. And with every kill, the mass seemed to spread a little bit more, as if it was feeding on the Grimm.

And in the center of it was that small cave. It consisted only of a single passageway, long enough for the light of the moon and the stars, or even the sun, to not reach deep into it. The corridor was covered in that same darkness while it proceeded inwards, with small turns here and there. The cave was big enough to fit a few people at the same time, if they could even reach past the darkness. Treading deeper into the cave, the last and only room of the place could be reached. It was big compared to the passage that lead to it, with that corridor being the only way in or out.

The room had the form of a sphere, with a stone bridge leading to the very center of the room, where the darkness came from. In the middle of the place was a pillar that connected the lowermost part to the bridge. On top of it was an altar, with four short sets of stairs leading to it, one on each side forming a square around the altar. The altar in itself wasn't something spectacular, only a small column that reached to the hips of an average man or women. What was interesting was what it hold: a perfectly circular orb the size of a beach ball. It was black with lines of purple on it's edge. But it wasn't physical, looking instead like a portal lf some sort, like staring into the Abyss itself.

The closer someone stepped to the orb, the more whispers could be heard. They started faintly, as if they were the wind itself and nothing more. But the closer someone stepped, the louder they could be heard. It became an incomprehensible amalgamation of whispered screams inside the cave, but the source could be tracked to the spherical room at it's end. Any Faunus with sensible ears would be trying to get the hell away from the place just to hear their own thoughts.

This wasn't the work of Salem or humans or Faunus. The light had chosen it's champion to protect the balance. It was time for the darkness to follow it's steps to save this world and to work alongside it's counterpart.

* * *

 **A.N.: well, what a surprise, the darkness isn't going to sit idle during all this. Now, I already have an know who or what is the champion, but I want to see your own opinions in the reviews. Who or what do you think it will be? It will stil be a few more chapters before it's revealed so you'll have to wait.**

 **The pople that have sent me your OCs, don't worry. They will be coming, at leats two of them will be featured in the next chapter. The rest will come in later.**

 **Have a great day!**


	11. Chapter VIII

**A.N.: hello there! So, an idea came to mind. I already have some OCs from you guys, but you can still send them if you want, at least until next chapter. So, if you want, I can base the characters that I will use in others from different games and series, or at least, use their powers to create a Semblance similar to them. Tell me if you like the idea or if I should shove it into a hole for it to never come back, and if you do like it, what character or power would you like to see. I've done it with one of them in this chapter, as an example of sorts.**

 **Now, I do want to see your thoughts on the story and who the champion of the darkness is. Little clue: it/he/she is from the DS saga. That's all I'm going to say for now.**

 **Silver Nyx and Lena Nyx were created and submitted by Gray28wolf08.**

 **The remaining OCs belong to me. If your OC hasn't been featured in this chapter, don't worry, more of your OCs will appear in the future!**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster teeth, Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter VIII**

 **The Shinning Beacon**

This was… boring. While the person he was protecting in this convoy was important, both personally and for his contract, he was hoping for _something_ to happen. For being one of the few works that didn't include training one of the Schnee daughters, it sure was being nothing special. At least helping Weiss or Winter improve their combat skills was fun and helped prepare them for the outside world, like how Winter went to Atlas academy or Weiss is now going to Beacon.

Honestly, those two were the only Schnee family members that he liked to spend time with. Jacques was, in all rights, a jerk. The less he thought about him the better. His wife was ether drinking in the gardens or drinking somewhere else. He couldn't blame her, but her actions, or better, her inaction, just made things worse. As for the young man, Whitley, well, lets just say that he was shaping to be more alike his father than he would have liked.

Still, that he was contracted by the Schnees and became one of the families most trusted bodyguards was quite ironic.

After all, he was an owl Faunus himself.

Did he like the business model Jacques implanted upon Faunus? Nope. Not at all, but even if he had been a good friend to Nicholas in his last two years, he couldn't do anything about it. It was wrong, but it was business. And nobody is better at creating profit than Jacques Schnee, even if it means stepping over some people, or their corpses. It was specially easy if they were desperate Faunus trying to find some way to sustain themselves or their family. But that didn't mean he couldn't set the pieces for the change.

He was tasked by Nicholas to take care of his two granddaughters as his dying wish. Whitley hadn't been born by that time, so while he still took care of him, the boy didn't want to be close to him when his father started poisoning the mind of the child. But, hey, two out of three are following the path of the huntress and will try to make the SDC and the world better. Winter was already a top Specialist and Weiss was on her way to not only being the SDC heiress, but becoming a great huntress.

If only he could lower her dislike for the Faunus…

She wasn't a monster like her father, but the attacks from the White Fang and the news her father fed her did a little bit of damage. He hoped Beacon could cure that and make her be a little more open to new people. She was a great girl but too accustomed to her life style.

Speaking of the devil, "You have been awfully silent since we reached the coast. Is everything all right, Plat?" She asked. Normally, Weiss would refer to people politely, but he and Klein were two of the few people she trusted and was confident with.

Platinum Ochre looked at her in the seat in front of him in the limousine. The white themed heiress was looking up from her scroll, which showed some information about Beacon. She had been looking on data about the academy since the journey begun. "Everything is fine." He said with a smile. "Just dwelling on the past, and on how proud your sister and I are of you."

She returned the smile. "Thank you. That means a lot, but I wouldn't have reached here without all of you."

He closed his scroll. "But you can reach even further. That's why you are going to Beacon." He stopped for a moment. "Well, that and to get a taste of how the real world works."

She rolled her eyes. "Please, I know exactly how the world works."

While he was an owl Faunus, his only traits were slightly bigger pupils, pointed ears hidden by a tricorn hat and incredible eyesight and hearing. That made him pass like a human while he wore his hat. "I seriously doubt that, princess." He said with a chuckle.

She glared at him. "Don't call me that, you fashion-less creature of the night!"

He gasped and brought a hand to his completely black long coat. "Fashion-less?!" He smirked at her. His face was relatively round, with a slightly pointed nose. He wasn't too handsome, but he doubt anyone would call him ugly. "Tell me, how long does it take to clean a _completely white_ dress?" He pointed at her legs and feet. "And I'm not the one going to a combat school with a _skirt_ and _heels_."

She crossed her arms and looked away. "For your information, it's a combat skirt. And I'm perfectly capable of fighting in heels, thank you very much."

They stood in silence for a few seconds before chuckling. He smiled at her. "There are going to be many different people in there." She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You are going to be way out of your comfort zone and there are some people who you will like and some who you will not." He said. "That's all right, but try to be nice with the people around you. Four years is a long time around the same people."

She sighed. "I know, don't worry." He looked at her with a deadpanned look. "Okay, fine! I'll try to be… nice."

He smiled. "That's all I can ask for." Before they continued, the convoy reached the doors of Vale. They could have taken the direct route in an airship from Atlas, but changing transport was planned in a coastal town to distract anyone following Weiss. All because of the paranoia from Jacques and the SDC from recent attacks. Here they would move to the landing pads and Weiss and he would take the airship to Beacon. He was ordered to stay for a time in Vale to guard some cargo that would be arriving during the next few months.

His change in position was because a recent attack on a train of the SDC heading to Vale had left the actionists worried. He didn't mind: he was strong enough to take care of anything that came to fight him and would give him a chance to keep an eye on the heiress.

That, and it would give Platinum the opportunity to meet with the person that had sent that strange message when the SDC announced Weiss would be attending Beacon.

He opened his scroll again while the convoy traversed the city. Weiss was focused on the streets outside the limousine and the different stores and people. Platinum, on the other hand, examined again the message.

' _Platinum Ochre, you do not know who I am but I've been keeping an eye on you. I believe you have the skills and mentality to help me on my cause. Your help is crucial for changing the fate of Remnant to a better one. If you want to know more, meet me at the campus of Beacon the day of the student arrivals._

 _Sincerely, the Black Knight.'_

Well, credit were credit is due. The guy did know how to make a message sound ominous.

* * *

"Oh! Screw you, Neo!" She shouted to the girl in the other shoulder. "You cheated!" She showed her scroll, which was playing a game. In big red letters, the words _'You loose'_ showed the reason for her displeasure.

Neo stuck out her tongue at her and Cyane glared at her friend. Without warning, she launched herself towards Neo and tried to pry of the scroll from her hands. "Let's see if you can chat without your scroll!" Each girl pulled to a different side with the scroll in their hands.

The problem was that Onyx was literally in the middle of the fight, almost loosing balance and his head being wobbled one side to the other. "Enough!" He shook both girls to the ground, hitting it behind him with a _'thud'_ and an ' _oof!'_ from Cyane. He turned to both girls while they recovered. "How many times have I told you not to fight when you are on my shoulders?" He massaged his head, even if he still had the helmet on. "You girls are going to be the end of me some day."

Cyane used her spider legs to jump up to her feet while Neo picked her scroll from the floor. "Aww, c'mon Onyx, don't be a crybaby. We were just having fun, right Neo?" The ice-cream themed girl smiled at Onyx and put her arm around the back of Cyane's neck while the other girl did the same with one of her hidden spider legs. Both of them gave the most innocent smile they could muster at Onyx.

The knight just sighed, but smiled at both girls, ruffling their hairs. The two girls glared at him while he chuckled. "Yeah, definitely you are a handful." He turned to the smaller girl. "I heard that Roman was stopped the other day during a robbery. Where you there?"

She started writing in her scroll. _'Nah. Roman was with Junior's men. I was sleeping at my house.'_ She kept writing. _'If you are worried someone will recognize me here at Beacon, you don't need to. But that is sweet of you ;)'_

"I just didn't want to have to accompany Cyane to see you in prison."

She gasped. _'As of anyone could catch me. And even if they could, I would be out of there in a whiff.'_

Onyx leaned closer. "I could. And I would have to if you were in Beacon grounds." He smiled under the helmet. "Tell me, do you really want to face me?" That made Neo gulp, but Cyane stepped in between the two.

"I wouldn't let you. Plus she already said that nobody knows her." She looked straight to Onyx's eyes, but he simply leaned back and laughed.

"Of course. I'm just messing with you." He said. "In fact, I think I rather let you scape than try to explain to Ozpin why were you here or how did we know you."

Neo released a breath she didn't know she was holding. Cyane intervened, "Welp, I'm bored. Hey, Neo," the girl turned to look at the Faunus, "do you want to hide and see if we find any interesting people? There's bound to be someone with a cool weapon or something."

Neo smiled and typed in her scroll. _'And then we scare them?'_

Cyane smiled evilly. "And then we scare them."

The two hid in the branches of a tree close to Onyx while he stood in the shadow of another, waiting for the new arrivals. He opened his scroll and browsed the files Ozpin had sent him yesterday. He hadn't had time to look at them, and what better time than the present to do something.

Most of the new students weren't anything special, but there were a few that caught his attention. A mistralian champion, Pyrrha Nikos, and the heiress of the SDC caught his attention first. He already knew about the Schnee - he had sent a message to her bodyguard, after all – but he was curious of both of them.

Then, to his surprise, a boy with false transcripts. And Ozpin had let him in! Seriously, that man loved to have his secrets and mysteries. The poor boy didn't even had his Aura unlocked, for Gwyn's sake! The initiation was going to kill him unless he _miraculously_ opened his Aura.

A few more names appeared, but when he was about to read their profiles, two of them caught his and Ember's attention. _'So, he knows.'_ Onyx nodded. The first was Yang Xiao-Long, nothing wrong there. But the second one brought problems and opportunities with it: Ruby Rose.

' _Now that I think about it, didn't Ms. Rose ask you to help her train?'_ Ember said. _'It would be a great chance to look after her and make her stronger, maybe even unlock her powers…'_

' _And bring her to our side.'_ Onyx finished the flame's thoughts. With that power, their quest could be ended sooner and more people could be saved. He would take this chance, but there were other students he wanted to look at.

There was also a new teacher, an aid for Glynda in combat class, more specifically. Silver Nyx, wolf Faunus, age 22. The file described her as a lone wolf – no pun intended – but with a close relationship with her younger sister, Lena Nyx. Doesn't like mechashift weapons, carrying a sword-dagger (Arget and Otho) combination and a separate semi-automated rifle (Iiz). Her skills were impressive, but the only reason for her to even come close to Beacon would be her sister, which has applied for first year, and even then, she has zero to none experience in teaching.

It was clear that Ozpin wanted to keep an eye on her like he did on Onyx and Ember. She has shown to be cruel and brutal, with a fitting sense of humor, but patient and calculative when needed. If she was as good as the profile let on, she might become a valuable asset in the future, if she is even willing to listen.

As for her sister, Lena, she seemed to be a toned down version of the elder one. More open and extroverted than her sister, and human, curiously. The resemblance was still there, but without the ears and tail of Silver. She used a plethora of knives alongside a heavily modified SMG. She lacked the sadism of her sister and had actually been attending Signal to prepare for entering Beacon.

While both based their fighting styles on speed and agility, Silver took her opponents more directly, while Lena studied them and took a more assassin-like approach. Their Semblances were also similar: Silver had 'Time Step', which allowed her to slow time around herself, and Lena had 'Phase Step', a Semblance that allowed her to teleport into a mirror dimension for short amount of time to dodge attacks or to surprise her enemies.

Before he could continue browsing, Cyane called him. "Onyx! The first ship is here!" He raised his head and looked forward. Indeed, the first ship had arrived as scheduled in the morning; other 2 will follow later in the day. It reached the zone prepared for such an enormous transport and opened the gates, spilling out students and their luggage. Coincidentally, the two sisters were among the people arriving early in the morning.

Onyx moved to the CCTS tower, seeing as how both of them were heading there. Cyane and Neo stayed behind, searching for someone to prank. The sisters had already arrived at the base, and seemed to be waiting for someone, blending with the small amount of people around in the entrance. He approached from their backs, but the extra ears of Silver heard his steps and made the elder sister turn to look at the knight, Lena following.

"Oh! The Black Knight! I heard that you worked as security here at Beacon but I couldn't believe it." Said Lena, while her sister eyed the armor as if she were looking for weak spots. Onyx did not respond but simply looked at Silver for a moment, before trying to punch her without warning. To his surprise, she dodged the incredibly fast attack and prepared a fighting stance. Onyx relaxed while he chuckled. "What the-!?"

"I wanted to see if the new assistant was as good as the transcripts said." He looked at Silver while she calmed down. "Some professional huntsmen aren't able to dodge or even block it." He smiled. "Impressive. I think you'll fit right in."

Silver smiled and in blinding speeds, she pulled out her dagger and aimed it at one of the eye-sockets of the helmet, while she smiled. "Do that again, and you'll see what I'm _really_ capable of." Onyx was completely unfazed by this, even if her speed was incredible.

A sudden screech stopped her. Onyx looked at Lena: she had picked up a special knife and scratched his armor, making a noise that hurt even his ears. "Now, now, sis. Don't make me use Whistler again." She said with a smug smile.

Silver recovered from the horrendous sound and glared at her sister. "I seriously want to throw that knife into the ocean right now. You are lucky I am so patient."

"I know." Retorted her sister. "That's why I like to annoy you." She smiled while she said that, making Onyx think that she would get along with Cyane and Neo. "Plus, you wouldn't hurt this cute face, right?" She put on her best puppy face, which was quite good actually.

Silver sighed. "One of these days, Lena, I swear…"

Onyx definitely needed to keep her as far away as possible from the other two troublemakers

"Don't worry. She is in my grounds now." He turned to Lena. "If you cause any trouble, you will have to deal not with your sister but with _me_."

"Meh," answered Lena, "I know that. That is why I'm taking the chance to do it now." She smiled at both of them before coming to a realization. "We haven't presented ourselves. I'm-"

She was cut off by the knight. "Lena Nyx, 17. New first year student." He looked at the other girl. "Silver Nyx, 22. New assistant teacher enlisted by Ozpin."

The wolf faunus crossed her arms as a frown appeared in her face. "Tch, Ozpin. He is lucky Lena is going to be attending Beacon, or else I wouldn't be here."

"I see we are in similar situations then." Onyx said, earning a curious look from Silver and Lena. "I have an… alliance of sorts with the man, but I do not work for him. At least, not outside Beacon." He looked at Silver. "I suppose he brought you here to keep an eye on you, and your sister attending Beacon was an incentive."

Silver nodded. "Pretty much. I saw something I wasn't supposed to see and he doesn't want me to go shouting it out loud, most surely for the panic it cam cause."

"And you don't care that I know about it?" Said Onyx.

Silver just shrugged. "I won't tell you what I saw, but I see no problem in telling why I'm here to someone who is going to be looking after my sister why I'm here." She said. "Specially if they are not working completely under Ozpin."

"Aww, come on you two! Ozpin is not that bad." She said, as she looked behind the two. "Right, Headmaster?"

Silver turned around quickly, surprised at how the white haired man had come so close without her noticing. Onyx was just surprised he didn't had his mug with him. "My, it seems I will not find my fan club around here. Well, maybe just one member." He said, smiling.

Silver looked around, trying to find a way he could have approached without her knowing. Onyx laid a hand on her shoulder, making her look at him. "You'll get used to it. He does it all the time."

Ozpin shook his head. "Why, I have no idea what you are talking about, Onyx."

"Yeah, yeah." Said Onyx, waving a hand. "You do your thing. I will show Lena around while you explain the ropes to her."

Ozpin smiled. "That would be appreciated, yes." He turned to Silver. "Ms. Nyx why don't you accompany me to my office. We have much to talk about."

Silver was still confused as how Ozpin had been able to approach her so silently, but accompanied the man nonetheless. "So…" Started Lena. "Not that I don't appreciate you showing me around, and maybe give me your autograph," she muttered the last part, "but don't you have to take care of the other students that will be arriving?"

"Don't worry. It won't take long." He answered as she gestured her to follow. "And I'm not the only one keeping an eye on the new arrivals. My companion has that covered." He said. "Even if she is more focused on who she can play a prank on."

The last part made Lena raise an eyebrow, but shrugged it off when they arrived at the first stop, the cafeteria, and the smell of delicious food entered her nose.

* * *

Meanwhile, said companion and her closest friend eyed the new students. She had received a copy from the files of the new students, as she was technically employed at Beacon as Onyx was. There had been no luck for now, as all the students she looked at seemed pretty boring or none of them came close to where they were, forcing them to hide closer to the landing pad, where students were retrieving their belongings.

Neo popped up from a perch at the side of Cyane, with a message on her scroll. _'What do your elf eyes see?'_ She wrote with a smile.

Cyane rolled her eyes and answered. "Stop quoting films. It was fun the first time, but now it's just annoying."

' _That's coming from you of all people.'_ She wrote.

"…Fair enough." She answered with a nod. "As for the students, I've been checking the ones I see but none of them seem to be out of the ordinary." She sighed. "Maybe the next ship will have-" She cut herself of when she laid eyes on a person standing in the pads.

' _What is it?'_ Neo wrote.

"Him" Cyane signaled with his finger a guy standing waiting for the staff to bring forth his stuff, but he was further away than the rest, as if he was trying to go unnoticed. Another thing that called Cyane's attention was the black cape that covered him completely from under the neck. A small opening was on his left side starting on his shoulder, but it allowed only to see part of his leg. He was with his back on a tree, sunglasses covering his eyes, but even with her improved sight, Cyane couldn't make more details. "Come on. Let's get closer. No one tries so hard to be inconspicuous in here without having any secrets."

Neo nodded and used her Semblance to teleport the both of them to another tree close to the one the boy was leaning on. Now they were on his left side but out of his view. Both girls eyed him closely: the cape reached to his feet, enough to cover them but not to be in his way if he needed to walk or run. Looking closer to his face, he had completely black hair. It didn't appear to be combed but it wasn't extremely messy either. His posture was calm, but he appeared to be ready for anyone trying to attack him. His face was completely rid of emotions, but what caught Cyane's attention were his eyes.

While the sunglasses helped the boy hide them her sight was better than average thanks to her being a Faunus. His right eye was nothing uncommon, even if she just had a glimpse of it. His left one, on the other hand, was completely mechanical. It was as if someone had pulled the eye and eyelids and had replaced it by a red reticle, with delicate and flexible pieces of metal and red cables, allowing it to move as if it was normal eye, even if he lacked eyelids. For any human, the sunglasses would block the view, but the spider girl could see through them.

Neo tapped her shoulder, asking what had caught her attention. "His left eye is completely robotic. I have never seen anything like that in my life, not even in Atlas or Merlot Industries." She said, making Neo somewhat shocked. Cyane wasn't an expert scientist, but she had seen may implants in her 5 years as a huntress. "I wonder who he is…" She said, as she brought out her scroll and looked for the person in her files.

It didn't take too long for the two girls to find him, as he still had his sunglasses even in the profile picture: his name was Schwarz Cadmium. He was two years older than the rest of the students, making him 19, which was something rare, but not unheard of. The strange part was that almost everything else was redacted. She could only see he was from Atlas and that he was a genius scientist that had been working a few years under their government, but the specific projects were also blacked out. Furthermore, Onyx had modified the files of the 'interesting' students and send the modified list to Cyane, and Schwarz was marked as one of them.

The boy in question moved from the tree and the symbol at the back of his cape became visible to the two hidden girls. It appeared to be a diamond-like shape that had been cut in different parts and reorganized. A vertical cut divided it in half, with the right side having an extra line parallel to the lowest side. The left half only had the upper side, while the lower was replaced by a shorter line pointing at the side contrary to where it was supposed to do to complete the diamond shape. The figure was colored red, contrasting with the black cape. **(A.N: think of the SIVA symbol)**

' _He's definitely interesting.'_ Wrote Neo, bringing her friend back to reality. _'What do you want to do?'_

Cyane hummed in thought. "Well he seems to be a little bit on edge and I haven't seen his weapon yet." She turned to her friend, with a terrifying smile on her face. "I think we just found ourselves our first victim."

Neo smiled back, ready to give a warming welcoming to the cloaked scientist.

* * *

"… and that leads us back to the main walkway." Said Onyx to the girl at her side while they roamed around a fountain. "And we haven't entered the dorms and the classrooms yet."

"Wow, this place is bigger than I thought." Lena said. "How do you not get lost in here?"

Onyx smiled under his helmet, knowing the peril of the girl beside him. "It's hard at first, but after tomorrow's initiation, a map will be sent to your scroll automatically if you pass."

Lena waved a hand. "Pfft, of course I'll pass." She walked in front of Onyx and started walking backwards. "But, you wouldn't happen to know anything about it, right? Maybe a little tip or a small advice?" She said with a smile.

Onyx shook his head. "I only know it will be in the Emerald Forest but nothing more. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. I promised the Headmaster that if I knew I couldn't tell anyone." He lied. He knew exactly what was going to be happening tomorrow but he did promise Ozpin to keep it hidden. "I may not like the man much, but a promise is a promise."

"Oh, well." She shrugged. "At least I tried."

' _Sorry to interrupt,'_ said Ember as they walked, _'but I think Cyane and Neo are about to pull one of their pranks on one of the students you marked.'_

' _Have you tried to stop Cyane?'_ Asked Onyx, only to be met by silence from the flame. _'Right, stupid question.'_

He turned to Lena. "Why don't you try to find your sister?" He said. "Ozpin and she must have already finished talking and she will need someone to guide her until she gets a map."

Before she could answer, a shout cut her off. "Give me back my bags, thieves!" They both turned to the road that led to the main walkway just as two figures Onyx knew too well turned around the corner. Lena looked surprised, Onyx just sighed. A third person turned the corner, running after the two girls. Cyane and Neo just giggled and looked backwards at their pursuer.

None of them noticed Onyx, not even when he readied himself to stop them both in their tracks. He threw his shield at the feet of Neo, making her trip and tumble a few feet. Meanwhile, he raised his right leg and made Cyane trip when she was about to pass him. Losing her footing, Cyane face planted into the ground and grunted, her Aura stopping any kind of damage, but not all the pain from the fall.

The boy came after wards, wearing a black long cape that covered him completely and sunglasses over his eyes. To Onyx surprise, the boy didn't seem to be tied at all from the chase. He picked up the bag that Cyane had stolen while the Lena picked the other one at Neo's side, giving it to Onyx while the two pranksters recovered.

"My apologies." Said Onyx as he handed the bags to the student, which he only used his right arm to pick up, his left one hidden from view behind his back. "It seems _some people_ " he said, turning to Neo and Cyane, both now standing and giving sheepish smiles, "have decided that they are going to start their career as Beacon's own Roman Torchwicks."

"So it would seem." Said Schwarz, glaring at the two mischiefs. "The contents of this bags can be extremely dangerous if handled wrong. And right now, I'm the only person in Remnant that can handle them."

Onyx turned to face the new student. "I hope that you are right. I would like to have to expel you for hurting other students or damaging the facilities."

"What? On, no, no, no. You won't have to worry about that, Mr. …?"

"Onyx Aureolis, Head of Security here at Beacon, but you probably know me as he Black Knight."

"Yes, I could have guessed that last part." He extended his hand, and Onyx shook it while he spoke. "Schwarz Cadmium, Atlas scientist and huntsmen trainee. I came here to finish my training and… test some of my experiments while I'm at it."

Meanwhile, the three girls talked between themselves. "You know, that was really lame. You are really bad thieves." Said Lena. "I'm Lena Nyx, by the way."

"Cyane Mika, and you can't blame us!" Answered the spider Faunus. "I'm supposed to be the second in command of security, we were just having a little fun. And somehow he was able to see through the illusions that Neo left behind."

' _Yeah, that was weird. I still don't know how he did it.'_ Neo wrote in her scroll, surprising Lena with the speed at she wrote.

"I've told you, it's that weird eye that he has!" Cyane half-whispered, half-shouted.

Lena looked with confusion at the pair. "Wait, what's wrong with his eye?"

Cyane turned to her. "His left eye is completely mechanical. I think that's why he wears those glasses and that he is hiding something in his left arm." Then, Cyane shrugged. "As for the prank, we just wanted to have some fun around here and give him a 'warm welcome'" She said with a grin.

"Meh." Lena spoke. "I give you a 6 out of 10. I would have stolen his glasses and made him try to follow me where he would have difficulty catching me until he tired himself up."

' _That's the thing.'_ Wrote Neo. _'He didn't get tired during any of it. It was as if he had stamina to run like that for days, and we were running around for quite a while.'_

Onyx cleared his throat, claiming the attention of the three girls. He had already picked up his shield back. "I believe you two own Mr. Cadmium an apology."

"Aww, c'mon Onyx, it was just a prank."

"Cyane…"

"Fine, fine." An idea popped into Cyane's mind as she and Neo approached the young scientist. "We are sorry if we bothered you. If you want us to not do it again just say so, okay?" Neo nodded at the words of her friend. While Cyane might be a lover of jokes and pranks, she knows when someone doesn't want to keep going with her antics. "Let's shake hands and make up, hmm?"

"I'm willing to let bygones be by-" He stopped talking when he realized the hand that Cyane had hold out was her _left_ one. Schwartz looked at her with an annoyed look. "You really are interested in the things I want to keep hiding, aren't you Ms. Mika?

"Oh, please, just call me Cyane. No need for formalities with me." She said with a smile, but her whole posture and face turned darker in her next words. "And I seriously hold nothing against you, but I'm not fond secrets myself. Specially if the one hiding them has all his files redacted and the details are close to none."

"And what about your spider legs. They are not very visible under that coat and I doubt you aren't trying to hide them." He retorted. Onyx was curious at the boy's files himself and also wanted to see how Cyane would handle a situation like this.

"Wait, you have extra legs under that coat!?" Asked Lena. Neo nodded to her while Cyane continued to talk to Schwarz.

"I honestly don't care." Answered Cyane, moving the coat with her legs. "People already see my eyes, and while the coat does have the function to keep my other Faunus trait as concealed as possible, I mainly use it to aid me in battle and surprise my enemies." She leaned closer to him. They were more or less the same height, Cyane being an inch or two taller. "And I don't have a completely redacted file on myself and my work."

The two stared at each other, until Schwarz sighed. "Heh, it was going to be revealed anyways. I just wanted to keep it hidden until after the initiation. Many people want to lay their dirty and cruel hands on my inventions."

He moved his cape to his back uncovering himself completely. He wore a black jacket over a grey t-shirt, deep blue dressing pants and black dressing shoes. Even with that, the clothes seemed resistant and open for movement. But the most breathtaking part of the boy were the red cables and nodes that were scattered throughout his clothes. At first sight they all seemed to be without order but a closer look showed they were evenly spread alongside his entire body, as if was an exoskeleton. All of the cables ended back in his left arm, which had no sleeves from the jacket or the shirt.

The arm itself was completely made out of these cables and black material, with the tips of some nodes protruding from it. It resembled the muscles and tissues of a normal arm, but the red cables pulsed with the same color and seemed to move slightly on it's own. The arm and hand were bigger than the right ones and the fingers weren't human, resembling claws more than human fingers. He took off his glasses, revealing his left eye to be of the same materials of the arm. Around the nodes in the arm, small red lights floated, hovering over the arm.

He extended his left arm and his hand transformed into a more human one in a matter of moments. Cyane shook it, although taken back from the sudden revelation. She was seriously not expecting this. "Schwarz Cadmium, former head scientist of the Black Ops of the Atlas Military, and creator of the prototype of the Self-replicant Intelligence for Vital Aid you are seeing right now."

"The… what?" Asked Lena.

"I named it the SIVA for short. Nano machines with the power to feed on anything and transform it into something entirely different, almost without limits." He raised his left arm and looked at it intently. "But most important of all…"

"It does _not_ require Dust for it's use."

That made a lot of things clear for everyone there. A machine that could create almost anything and with no need for Dust would make it more than appealing for many people, some of them not good. Onyx had marked him as important, knowing a few things about his past, but this was also a complete shock to him. "Do you think it's wise to reveal it to us? And why did you kept it hidden?"

"You've told me who you are and my eye recognized Cyane. You two are renowned huntsmen, and I know that you have no reason to want the SIVA. And as long as I don't speak of other projects or operations, Atlas has no problem." He turned to Lena. "As for you, if we both are entering in the same year, you were bound to find eventually, as is everyone." He said. "I obviously didn't expect the secret to last long, but I hoped that I could keep it until after the initiation so I could make some digging around and make sure no one was here for this." He pointed at his arm.

"Don't worry." Said Onyx. "Ozpin and I know everyone here and he has made sure that anyone that might want to cause harms to the students is far away from here."

' _And you won't have to worry about little old me.'_ Wrote Neo. _'I would have to go through everyone in here to get to you, including Cyane, and I don't want to fight her.'_ She smirked at the scientist. _'Plus, I doubt I could sell that in the black market: I would be pursued by everyone at the same time.'_

Schwarz looked at her with a questioning look. "How do you know about the black market?"

' _Contacts.'_ She simply wrote, earning a deadpanned look from the young scientist.

"She isn't a student here, but she is just as good as or better than one." Said Cyane. "By the way, how did you… you know…?" She said, pointing at the machine-like arm.

"Oh. Well, the eye was voluntary, as to have an interface directly to my brain, and solve some problems I had on the sight of that eye. The arm, though…" He sighed. "It was the reason I came here. The lab my team and I were working on the SIVA was attacked by bandits when they discovered the location. We tried to defend ourselves, but the bandits and their leader were too strong." His voice turned angrier and sadder by the second. "They killed my friends and the leader cut off my arm. I used the SIVA on myself and managed to fend them off, but it was too late." He let out a heavy breath, containing the sadness of it. "That happened 2 years ago. Since then, I left the military and trained with the SIVA as my weapon. Beacon is the final test."

There were a few seconds of silence. "I'm sorry." Said Cyane. "I-I shouldn't have pried into that. I didn't know."

"It's alright." He said, as he placed his mechanical hand on her shoulder. "I don't blame you. It was going to be discovered anyway, and you all seem like you can be trusted." Cyane´s cheeks turned a little red at the praise.

"Aw yeah, cyborg man! You can trust us. We'll keep your secret if you want us to." Said Lena. Neo made a thumbs up gesture and Cyane nodded.

"Thank you." He said. "I don't normally get this sentimental, but there's something about you two" he looked at Cyane and Onyx, "that just feels… right."

The two companions looked at each other with a smile while a voice in both their heads spoke. _'I may have something to do with that.'_ Said Ember.

"I guess that's just our little secret." Said Onyx. Schwarz lifted his sunglasses back to his eyes and let the cape cover him entirely once again. "We will be around the school grounds if you ever need us, but I would like to talk to you after initiation, if you don't mind Mr. Cadmium."

The boy smiled. "I have no problem." He looked back at everyone. "I honestly expected it to be worse."

"What?" Questioned Cyane.

"Everything, honestly. The arrival, the discovery. It went better than expected, and I'm happy for it." He gave a stern look to the spider Faunus. "I could have gone without the stealing, though."

Cyane smiled and shrugged. "They don't call me the Mischievous Spider for nothing."

"Yeah, well," he said, turning around and walking back to the academy. "Be 'Mischievous' around somebody else." He waved at them before leaving.

"I think I should be going too." Said Lena. "My sister must be searching around for me, and I don't want to wear out her patience. See ya!" She used her Semblance and phased away to look for Silver.

' _It wasn't so bad at the end.'_ Wrote Neo. _'We've got to meet two interesting people :)'_

Cyane nodded. "Lena seems nice, and I like Schwarz." Neo smirked at her friend and Cyane suddenly realized her words, making her blush and earning a laugh from Neo, Onyx and Ember. "N-not like that, you idiots." She said. "It's just that I know how he feels. I lost my family and he lost his companions. By the way he puts it, they were really close, and I know how that feels."

"You don't need to worry." Onyx said. "He'll have his own team and friends soon and we'll be around if he needs us." He looked at Neo. "Well, maybe not you. You have work to do, even if it's illegal."

Neo waved her hand in dismissal and Onyx rolled his eyes. One ship down, two to go, and he already had gotten himself into more secrets. _Joy._

* * *

The second ship was no less interesting. Three Faunus were in it that had caught Onyx's attention. Neo had left before the second one arrived but he and Cyane had stayed in order to watch for any trouble. Luckily, apart from the incident with Schwarz, nothing mayor had happened.

Now, two of those people he didn't know personally, but they had potential. The first one was Nickel Timberwolf, more commonly known as the DJ and remixer 'The Fox'. He appeared to have a passion for music and hunting ever since he was a child, and compelled both careers. During the day he attended combat school, and during some nights he played in clubs and concerts, earning him a reputation of one of the best DJs and composers out there.

His Semblance was also related to music: combining the songs he heard during battle with Dust, he could create different effects to help him and his companions, or weaken the enemy. Curiously, he was a fox Faunus, but tragedy struck when he was just a baby. His parents worked in the SDC mines and camps, and one guard decided it would be fun to have the poor child's fox ears as trophies, ridding him of his traits as if they were nothing. Fortune smiled at him later, however, as his parents managed to get him off to huntsmen prep-school, and with his passion and talent for music, he made enough money to free his parents from that hell.

Since then, he has dedicated himself to improve in both careers while taking care of his parents. Most people know he is a Faunus, but without the extra ears, and the hair covering the stumps, it's very difficult to know what kind. He dedicates most of the lien he makes to help people in need, may it be Faunus or human. He and his partner, Rebecca Oxblood, have been helping each other since they met, creating a deadly duo in combat.

The girl, Rebecca Oxblood, didn't have it easy either. Being born in an extremely religious town, she was unlucky enough to have two horns as her trait. These horns pointed forward, each resembling something close to an 's' shape, branding her as the child of a demon or Grimm of sorts. To make matters worse, she was born with a split personality: while she was timid and untrusting of almost everyone, the other side was cruel and acted as some kind of superior being when it came out, which turned out to be a means of self-defense from the cruelty of her childhood. It goes without saying that she didn't have what you would call a 'happy childhood'. Even her own parents treated her no better than a pile of trash.

One day, at the age of 9, she managed to escape the secluded town, and wandered the landscape of Mistral for days until she collapsed at the doors of another town. She was taken in by Nicker's parents, Almond and Coral, and cared for her until she was better. Weirdly, she only opened herself to Nickel and his music. They learnt about each other and she eventually started talking to Nickel's parents. She spent two years with them and the Timberwolfs took her as their own child too, while she and Nickel grew closer.

When he applied to a prep-school for huntsmen in Vale, she followed him instantly, turning out to be quite the skilled trainee. She unlocked her Semblance when another child decided to bully her, making Ox, the nickname the other side of her had been given by Nicker, appear and use the fire of a lighter close to her to almost burn the other child alive if it wasn't for his Aura. Turns out she can control fire, while not being able to produce it herself. When she does that, the fire under her control turns purple and she is even able to make it completely physical, making different forms were she can even walk or touch without harm.

These 2 weren't too much of a problem. The third one, however, he recognized instantly. Five years have passed, but he doesn't forget a face so easily. Blake Belladonna, 17, cat Faunus that uses a bow to hide her ears. Last minute appliance, but most importantly, former member of the White Fang of Vale. Ozpin had hidden that last part from everyone, but her face hadn't changed much since that attack on Tealle. More interesting though, was that he found out that the former leader of the White Fang was her father, Ghira Belladonna. He stepped down and the pacifist methods of the organization came to an end when Sienna Khan took the position as it's High Leader.

Why did his daughter continue under the new White Fang, he didn't know. What he knew, however, was that she couldn't be trusted. He didn't know what plans or potential saw Ozpin in the girl, but he would keep an eye on her if she turned out to be a spy or a saboteur. Her Semblance fitted his theory, allowing Blake to leave shadow clones of herself, being able to combine them with Dust if needed. He was going to get his answers, but he would be a hypocrite if he didn't let her have a second chance, if that was even her reason for being here.

He caught sight of the cat girl when she disembarked and told Cyane to keep her tracked and warn him if she did anything suspicious. When she asked why, he explained what he knew and she followed the order without complaint. As for the other two, they appeared to be wandering around, but didn't seem to want any attention, specially if it was from Nicker's fans. He would let them be for now, he didn't have a reason to make haste on talking with them for the time being.

* * *

The last ship brought many other interesting students. Ruby and Yang were among them, the boy without Aura, Jaune Arc, the SDC heiress, Weiss Schnee, and the mistralian champion. Although, this last one was clear that she wanted even less attention than the DJ. Other new trainees disembarked from it, but nobody else that he had marked.

He decided to search for the heiress, as her escort should be with her. He passed close to the half-sisters, hearing their conversation before they noticed him. "It's like meeting new people, but better."

"Ruby, c'mon." Said Yang, as she pulled her sister's hood over her head. "Why don't you go and try to make some friends of your own?"

Ruby pulled her hood back. "But why would I need friends when I have you?" She asked.

"Well… actually, my friends are here."

Amongst that group of friends was Lena. "Hi, Yang! Hi, Ruby!" She said in quick succession.

"Gotta go catch up. 'Kay, c'ya, bye!" Said Yang, speeding by Ruby with her friends and spinning the young reaper around several times, leaving her confused and dazed.

"Wait! Where are you going? Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms?" She said while spinning and loosing balance. She didn't notice the trolley moving behind her. "I don't know what I'm doing…"

"Ruby!" Shouted Onyx, but it was too late.

The caped girl crashed on the suitcases behind her, sending some of them flying. Onyx stepped closer, noticing the angered heiress and a man standing close by, clad in a large, dark, olive green coat with the front opened and a black tricorn hat. In his chest, a leather jacket with several straps on it served as armor in between the coat and the white shirt. It appeared to be a cloth mask in his neck, which Onyx had seen the man wear over his mouth and nose during combat in some videos. Black long pants and brown boots with shin pads finished the completely contrasting look over the almost completely white heiress.

"What are you doing?" The tone of anger was obvious in the heiress. The bodyguard seemed to notice Onyx and the knight move to stand close to him, away from the scene playing in front of them but close enough to intervene if needed.

"Uh… sorry."

"Sorry?" The SDC heiress pointed at Ruby. "Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?"

"Uhh..." Ruby tried to give the heiress one her suitcases, but she snatched it out of her hands.

"Gimme that!" She shouted. "This is Dust mined and purified from the Schnee Quarry."

"Uhh…" Ruby repeated, still somewhat confused.

"What are you, brain dead?" Asked Weiss, getting angrier and angrier at the girl in front of her.

"Schnee…" Warned the man besides Onyx

"Dust!" The heiress didn't appear to listen. "Fire, Water, Lightning, energy!"

"Uhh…" The Dust wasn't closed as it should, and some particles entered Ruby's nose, making her reel back and for her nose to start itching.

The two men looking at the scene noticed this and the one with the coat tried warning again, this time in a more serious tone. "Schnee."

"Are you even listening to me?" She didn't hear his warning. "Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself!?"

"Ahhhh…." Ruby reeled her head backwards. The two men looked at each other with a worried look.

"Girls, watch-" The warning from Onyx went unheard because of the sneeze and explosion coming from the Dust that had entered Ruby's nose. The explosion sent one of the vials flying away, landing at the feet of a black-haired girl reading a book. She picked the vial up and looked at the symbol. Onyx quickly realized the identity of the girl and moved away from her field of vision before she looked up from the vial to the two girls.

"Unbelievable!" Shouted the Schnee. "This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!"

"I'm really, really sorry!" Ruby tried apologizing again but to no avail.

"Ugh! You complete dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"Well… I…"

"Weiss!" The man in the coat shouted to the heiress, finally taking her attention, an angered look in his face. "That is enough! It was an accident and she already apologized. It was a small explosion and you didn't even have a scratch, so calm down."

"But-, she didn't- Ugh!" She didn't stop completely. "She doesn't even know who I am, now do you?"

Ruby retorted, now more angered than scared. "Well, you look like a bad mannered princess!"

"It's heiress, actually." A new voice said. The three looked at the new arrival: a girl with long, black hair and a bow on top of her head. Her two yellow eyes looked at both of the girls. "Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

"Finally, some recognition!" Said Weiss, with Platinum raising an eyebrow to the new arrival.

"The same company infamous for it's controversial labor forces and questionable business partners." That earned a snicker from both Ruby and Platinum, while Onyx took this chance to silently move behind the girl, not before noticing Cyane close by and signaling her to block the other side.

"What- how dare- the nerve of-!" Weiss was without words. Suddenly, everyone looked behind the girl with the bow.

"Yes, you would happen to know about that, right?" Onyx intervened, making Blake look behind her and widen her eyes in terror. It seems that she hadn't forgotten what he had done to her companions when they assaulted Tealle. She looked around to find a way out, only to see a girl with a white coat tied to her neck and four eyes to smile at her from the other side of the walkway, ready to pursue if necessary. "After all," he continued, as he leaned down to the girl, "we both now about your past."

The girl looked terrified at the one who knew who she was, but it was Weiss who acted first. "Ugh!" She picked the vial and walked away, with Platinum sighing and helping the butlers pick up the cases.

"I promise I'll make this up to you!" Shouted Ruby.

Onyx looked at the girl in front of him and at Platinum. "You and I are going to have a little talk later on." He said to Blake. "And if I or Cyane catch you doing something suspicious, you'll be on your way to prison for the rest of your life." He whispered, enough for her to hear, but not loud enough for Ruby.

He walked away and helped with the last case in the floor while Blake removed herself from the scene as quickly as possible without running, leaving Ruby alone. "My thanks." Said Platinum as he was handed the last case from Onyx. "I apologize for her behavior. She is not a bad girl, just… cold." He sighed at the thought but continued speaking. "I suppose you are the one that sent me that message. The Black Knight?"

Onyx chuckled. "What gave it away?" He asked sarcastically.

"Many things, but I guess the armor gave me a little clue." The man smiled and extended his hand while looking upwards to the knight. "Platinum Ochre, personal bodyguard of the Schnee family, at your service."

Onyx grasped the man's hand and shook it. "Onyx Aureolis, chief of security at Beacon, at yours."

"What did you need from me, Mr. Aureolis? Your message seemed important, if not rather ominous." Said Platinum.

"Yes, it is quite important. Follow me." He beckoned, while he looked at Cyane. She nodded and resumed her patrol around the campus. "Let's discuss this somewhere more private. But in the meantime, tell me, what do you know about the Grimm?"

Platinum raised an eyebrow as he followed the giant armored figure, not knowing what he was about to be revealed.

* * *

Blake moved quickly through the campus, evading students and making sure that monster wasn't following her. _'I shouldn't have come here.'_ She thought. _'Why is he here!? Did he knew I was coming? Did Ozpin told him?'_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sound to her right. She had ended alone in one of the many fountains of the campus, surrounded by trees and bushes at both sides of the walkway. She stepped closer, slowly and carefully, making sure she was ready for anything. The bush moved again and she reached to Gambol Shroud on her back. A few steps closer and she reached into the bush, only to be startled as a squirrel jumped out and ran by her side, to the other part of the road.

She sighed and released the grip on her weapon. _'Calm down, Blake. You are being paranoid.'_ She turned around, only for a new sound to reach her ears from behind her. She quickly turned, but before she could do anything, something grabbed her by the neck and pinned her against a tree. Two hands grabbed her wrist and kept her in place. When she looked again, she found herself staring at the four eyes from spider girl from before, only this time she wasn't smiling, but glaring at her. Her two upper spider legs were pressing against her neck under the coat, as if they were a pincer, while her two human hands held her wrists.

"You know," begun Cyane, "that I didn't saw you that night doesn't mean I didn't know you were there with the rest of that scum of the White Fang." She kept pressing down her neck while she used her Semblance to leave her weaker. "I had lost my parents, and if it wasn't because of Onyx I would have lost my town, too." Blake struggled to get out, but somehow her Aura was weak and her concentration was dwindling. "I have no honest idea why you are here, but this is my new home and the people that I care about here are like my own family." Her glare turned deeper and more fearsome. "But if I find out you are here to take that away," she used her empowered Aura to really choke her and to even cause marks in her wrists. Blake grunted out of pain, "you'll regret it."

Cyane let her go and she almost fell to the ground trying to gasp for air. "I will give you _one,_ and _one_ chance only." She walked away, not even looking at Blake as she recovered. "For your own good, don't mess it up."

She left just as Blake started to catch her breath. This wasn't a very warming welcome, but she had nowhere else to go. She sighed and started walking to the Auditorium, remembering the speech that was going to be held there. _'What have I gotten myself into?'_

* * *

 **A.N.: sorry this took so long to make. I blame the D2 Forsaken DLC and the writers block I had while doing this. I'll try to keep updates to 1 per week at least, more if I can.**

 **As for this chapter we have some presentation of the new characters and Cyane getting pissed at Blake for the past. The next chapter will focus on initiation and what Onyx and Cyane will do meanwhile. I think I will do another interlude with the files of the new arrivals. I will try to have it as soon as possible, but I will focus on the next chapter at the same time.**

 **Leave your thoughts and opinions in the reviews. I haven't answered them recently, but don't worry, I'm reading each one I have.**

 **Have a great day!**


	12. Chapter IX

**A.N.: hello there! Sorry it took longer this time. This chapter had a lot of dialogue and introducing new characters. I will try to get working in the next chapter ASAP but I don't make promises.**

 **There are still some OCs that haven't appeared. I know, they will enter the story further on. For now, do NOT send me more. I have enough for now, but I can make exceptions if you want to make a character appear once but not as a permanent character.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Michael Messingen was created and submitted by cesarjunior233.**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter IX**

 **Talks and discoveries**

Onyx guided Platinum to his office. He had to be with Ozpin in his speech to say a few words to the new students , but he still had some time before that. His office was nothing special. It had a table at it's center with a chair to fit Onyx even with his armor. A couple of drawers and file cabinets held the files and profiles of students, new and old, even if most of them were already digitalized.

They both entered and Onyx signaled the Faunus to sit at the other side of the table. He took off his helmet as Platinum did the same with his hat. "Well, have you thought of what I asked?"

Platinum leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes and bringing a hand to his chin. "That's the problem. We now very little about them." He said. "We know they are hell-bent on destroying humanity and the Faunus, we know they grow in size and intelligence, but only to a certain point. We also know something about each specific type of Grimm, but little more." He opened his eyes and looked at Onyx. "We lack many needed details to really form some kind of theory that sustains itself about them."

Onyx nodded. "That is indeed true. Them turning to ash when they die doesn't help."

"Yes, but why did you ask me this?"

Onyx remained silent for a few seconds before speaking. "What I'm about to say doesn't leave this room unless I say so, understood?"

Platinum looked straight at the knight's eyes. "You seem really serious about this." Onyx nodded. "Very well. I will keep this secret."

Onyx sighed in relief. "I don't like secrets but sometimes they are needed." Platinum waited patiently for Onyx to start explaining. "What if I told you that the Grimm are not as mindless as you thought?" That got Platinum's attention. "The Grimm don't come from nowhere. There is someone creating them."

"Wait, wait, wait," said the owl Faunus, shocked. "You mean to tell me that the Grimm have someone bringing them to this world and throwing them against us?"

"And she is not alone." Answered Onyx. "That being is the one that controls the monstrosities and sends them on a sick crusade against the peoples of Remnant. But some fools decided to join her against all of us."

"Why would someone do such a thing!?"

"Power, revenge, madness, lies or even simple convenience." Onyx sighed. "I have already faced some of them and come out on top. But even if we get rid of the pawns, that won't stop the queen."

Platinum remained silent, thinking and letting the information set in. Was he lying? He doubted it but he needed proof. "How do I know you are telling the truth?"

Onyx chuckled. "Don't worry. I didn't expect you to believe everything I say. As for proof, tell me, have you heard the tale of the Maidens and the one of the two God Brothers and the Relics?"

Ochre smiled. "Who hasn't? I used to read it to Weiss when she was just a child." He then raised an eyebrow. "What does this have to do with the Grimm and what you told me?"

"They are real." This shocked the Faunus even more. "In fact, Beacon houses one of the relics and the Fall maiden is here right now. I can show you to her, but I doubt you'll be able to talk to her."

"Why is that?"

"She was attacked." Platinum was shocked again, loosing count of how many times it had happened already. "She is fine, but her powers have been halved and stolen. We are taking care of her, but that is the only thing we can do now."

"Why are you telling me this?" Asked Platinum. "If what you are saying is true, then we all are in grave danger, specially in Beacon. Why not tell the students, or at least the full-fledged huntsmen? I understand that this could cause panic with the civilians, but still…"

"I know how you feel and I would like nothing more than to bring all huntsmen and huntresses together against a common enemy." Onyx sighed. "But through out my time on Remnant I have learnt that very few people can be trusted, and even less than you can call friends. Despair and confusion, old grudges, racism and general incompetence to work together makes telling the truth almost impossible." Onyx leaned forward, putting his elbows in the desk and his head over his crossed hands. "But that doesn't mean I will remain idle. I plan on stopping this threat and I'm going to gather likeminded people to help me on this task."

"That is why you are telling me all this." Onyx nodded. "I believe you." The knight raised his eyebrows, surprised. "I have been leaving with a family that goes from aristocrat party to aristocrat party simply because they can and I have seen and heard more lies than I can remember." He said. "That has made me really good at reading people and I can see that you are not lying. But you are also not telling me all that there is."

"Indeed. Time is short now, but I don't plan on leaving you in the dark. However," Onyx straightened himself, "I will only tell you the rest if you accept to help me stop this threat. If you deny my proposal at least you already know what the world faces and I get to keep the rest secret in case the information I give you falls in the wrong hands."

"Fair enough." Said Platinum. "Though I would like to have some time to let all of this settle in and make my decision."

"Of course." Onyx raised from his chair and donned his helmet. "I would like to hear your decision after the initiation tomorrow, if not sooner, though." Onyx walked to the door while Plat picked his hat and wore it over his extended ears. "Now, if you excuse me, I have a small speech to attend and some students to intimidate." He said with a small chuckle.

* * *

"It is up to you to take the first step." Ozpin finished his speech, with Glynda at his left and Onyx at his right, wearing his full armor and with his terrifying greatsword at his shoulder. The speech could have been better, but it was somewhat… off, even for Ozpin.

Well, it didn't matter. It was his turn now. Ozpin moved off the stage completely and Onyx reached the center of it. The murmurs from the speech were still continuing. Onyx turned his Black Knight Gratsword in his hands and pointed it down in front of his feet. With a single move, he cracked the floor and inserted the tip of the weapon, the sound expanding in the room and bringing silence. Cyane smiled from the door and rolled her eyes. "Showoff."

The crowd remained silent and looked to Onyx, waiting for him to speak. After a few seconds, he begun. "Some of you know who I am, others don't. I will clear the doubts now. I am Onyx Aureolis, the Black Knight, and Chief of Security here." His voice was calm but imposing, making many students feel as if they could only listen.

"I will be the one making sure that your passing through this place doesn't kill you, but it makes you stronger. The job of us huntsmen may vary, but there is one constant: we are here to protect this world and the ones that live in it. Beacon will teach you that and more, but I will be teaching you to respect and value your fellow huntsmen and huntresses. They are the ones that will have your back in the battlefield in the future, and if you don't work together with them today, it may spell your death tomorrow."

"That being said, not everyone will get along during this time. It is only natural, of course. That's why we allow you to use the arenas and training rooms to solve problems between students. But," his tone grew darker, making everyone flinch a bit, "I will not allow hate or discrimination to settle. If we fight each other for stupidities instead of the Grimm, then we are only making their job easier. This academy will be your home for the next four years…"

"So you must treat each other as family in order to survive."

With those words, Onyx uncoiled his weapon from the ground and turned to leave, letting Glynda dismiss the students, which were stuck in different feelings, ranging from awe to fear from the knight. Onyx reached Cyane by the side door as she smirked at him with smug all over her face. "What?"

Cyaned giggled. "You just _love_ to give a show when you can." They walked through the campus, the 1st year students stepping aside while the higher years smiled and greeted both of them as if they were old friends. "See what I mean? In the end, no matter how much you like to scare them or beat them to the ground if they are cocky, you turn out to care about them."

Onyx laughed. "I never said it wasn't like that, but the new arrivals need to know this is no joke. I'm no jerk, but I won't let them do what they please simply because they think they can."

Cyane lifted her hands behind her head and shrugged. "Well, if it works I won't question it."

"Hah! Says the Faunus that likes to provoke fights and taunt and brag when they swipe the floor with their opponent." Said Onyx with a smile.

"Whaaat~? Me? I don't know what you are talking about." She said with a smirk.

Onyx laughed at the antics of his friend. _'She really is something special.'_ Pointed Ember. While the flame usually liked to remain silent unless needed, that didn't mean he didn't listen or enjoyed their conversations. _'By the way, there are still a couple of people on your list you haven't met yet.'_

' _I know.'_ Answered Onyx.

' _Why don't you go meet them now? I'm sure they are somewhere around here.'_ Said Cyane. They could hear each other thanks to Ember, but they preferred to talk normally. _'There's still a few hours until curfew.'_

Onyx shook his head and kept beside Cyane on their little stroll. "I'll wait for the initiation to end. I have no doubt that they will pass but I rather tell them when they do so."

"Whatever suits you, metal head." Said Cyane with a smirk.

"I'm seriously starting to dislike that name. What would you think I if called you 'little one' again?"

Cyane turned to him and frowned. "I told you not to call me that! I'm not a child anymore."

Onyx smiled under the helmet. "But you do behave like one, _little one_."

Cyane threw his hands up in the air and started to walk away. "Ugh! You're insufferable when you are like this!"

Onyx gave her a deadpanned stare. "Me? Insufferable? Have you heard yourself sometimes?"

Cyane pouted. "Shut up!"

Ember interrupted their little fight. _'Wait, aren't 'mischievous' and 'insufferable' both your traits, Cyane?'_

"Oh, c'mon, Ember! Not you too!" Onyx and Ember chuckled at her frustration. "You know what!? If you are going mess with somebody, look for the new guys. I'm out!" She said as she walked away from the knight.

Onyx laughed. "Don't worry, Cyane!" He shouted to the girl, now away from him. "We won't steal your way of living!"

She turned around for a moment before pulling both her middle fingers. "Fuck you both!"

That earned another laugh from her companions. _'No matter how mature she thinks she is, she is still just a child.'_ Said Ember.

' _Yes, but she will be ready to stand by our side when the time comes.'_ Answered Onyx as he continued to patrol around the campus.

' _Of course. You are the one that has prepared her for that, after all.'_

* * *

That night, Onyx and Cyane mounted guard around the ballroom making sure no students skipped the curfew or were left wandering the campus. Glynda and Ozpin were making sure the cameras were working for tomorrow's test, Peach was alongside the medical team making sure they were ready in case they were needed and Port and Oobleck were reading the platforms and bullheads for launch and retrieval, respectively.

Meanwhile, Cyane had been eerily quiet since their banter this afternoon. Ember sensed it was something different than that what kept her silent, but didn't want to pry without her permission. He was going to stay up all night to keep an eye on the students. He wasn't worried they couldn't defend themselves, but more about the… 'other' activities that could happen in a hall full of teenagers. Cyane on the other hand was getting ready to leave and have a full night sleep.

"Welp," she said in a low voice in order not to wake the students in the room, "I'm going to sleep. Good luck with the watch."

"Cyane, wait." She turned around to look at him. "Is something wrong? You haven't been yourself since we talked this afternoon."

"I'm fine, don't worry." She said with a smile.

Onyx sighed. "Cyane, I have known you for 5 years and I know when you have a problem and when you are lying." The Faunus lowered her head and rubbed her arm. Onyx sheathed his sword in his back and rested a hand in her shoulder. "Was it something I said?"

"What!? No, no, no, no, no. It's just that…" She sighed. "I'm worried about Neo."

Onyx raised an eyebrow. "What's up with her? You know she can take care of herself, right?"

"Of course. It just… she says Roman's new boss has him in a leash and that she even sends chills down her spine." She looked back at Onyx. "If someone can scare both of them, then she must really be dangerous. And I don't like thinking that they may be in danger."

"When was the last time you talked to her?" He asked.

"After I separated from you. I talked to her by scroll and she told me that she was worried Roman might not end up well if he failed again, or even if they finish the job."

That got Onyx's attention. While Roman wasn't a coward – he knew when to take risks and when the stakes were too high – he had a great sense of survival. He wouldn't deal with someone like Cyane described unless he had something to gain or was threatened and forced to comply. Even then, he and Neo were no pushovers when it came to fighting. No, if someone that powerful had decided to steal every Dust crate in the city, it could end up spelling trouble for him and Beacon.

"I see." He said. "And I suppose you want to know what all of that is about?"

She nodded. "Neo is my closest friend. I don't want see that she might be in danger."

"Then I'll help you." That brought a smile to her face. "I'll try to find more about this mysterious woman while you talk to Neo to see if you can find anything else, okay?"

She nodded again. "Yeah. Thanks, Onyx. This means a lot to me."

Onyx chuckled. "Roman may not be my favorite person, but Neo is your friend and leaving her in danger wouldn't be right, now would it?" He hugged the spider girl. "And you are my companion and friend, and for as long as I can, I will help you."

Cyane nodded with her face in his chest plate. "Thank you. I'm just worried that something bad may happen to them."

Onyx ruffled her hair. "Go to bed. We'll talk more tomorrow, alright?"

She agreed and left to her room while Onyx looked around the ample place that acted as something similar to one big slumber party. _'I think she might be onto something.'_ Said Ember. _'She has good instincts and if someone that powerful took over the underworld of Vale, it might make out quest even more difficult.'_

' _We'll see.'_ Answered Onyx. _'For now, we'll help her and see if we can do something about this new threat. We are still waiting for Amber to wake up.'_

* * *

It seems as if he wasn't going to have a quiet night. About three hours in, Port came in with a cup of coffee telling him that Ozpin wanted to see him close to the landing pads. Onyx was confused by this but agreed when Port told him that he would relieve him from duty while he was with Ozpin. Onyx thanked him and moved to the meeting point while wondering why Ozpin had called him.

The lights at the side of the walkway showed the figure of the Headmaster close to one of the pads. Onyx approached him and the man turned around. It wasn't hard to miss the bags under his eyes. "Thank you for coming in such short notice." The knight looked at Ozpin: his tiredness and lack of sleep showed clearly in his reddened eyes and the half-filled mug in his left hand. The amount of coffee that him and Oobleck drank couldn't be good for them. "I would have warned you earlier but with the preparations for tomorrow it slipped my mind."

"It is alright, Ozpin." He said. "In fact, I am more worried about you. You look as if a horde of Grimm had ran over you… _several_ times." While he and Ember didn't like the methods of the man beside them, they needed to stay united and ready to face their enemy.

Ozpin let out a small laugh. "Thanks for your concern. I was about to get some sleep myself when I remembered all of this." He sighed. "I just hope they aren't late."

"What are we waiting for exactly?" Asked Onyx.

"James has finally sent us the machine that can move an Aura to another body." Explained Ozpin. "He would have sent it sooner, but you freeing Amber from the Grimm allowed us to take more time for preparations and security. In fact, he was able to send one of the leading scientists of the project alongside it."

"Really, now?" Said Onyx. "That Ironwood sends one of his scientist is _extremely_ kind of him." He paused for a moment in which Ozpin looked to him, curious. " _Too_ kind."

"Well, James has told me that this man is… peculiar." Onyx looked unimpressed at the choice of words. "He is also a veteran huntsmen but, as far as I've been told, he tends to be almost _religious_ towards machines, and nobody knows if he was always like this or if his scars and implants made him a little bit less… sane."

Suddenly, the sound of a bullhead reached their ears and, a few seconds after, the machine appeared in the night sky. Unlike the bullheads that were used by civilians or Beacon, which only use to have a front-facing machine gun, this was heavier and fully armed. The plating was thicker and two extra guns could be seen by each side of the transport. Another one was posted in the lower rear while a turret laid at the top of the ship. Two heavy missile launchers were stationed under the wings and the front viewport was tainted in black, making it almost impossible to see from outside to the inside, but allowed the pilots to do the contrary. It's black color made it difficult to spot in the night sky, even with the starts behind it.

The transport landed and the side door opened in front of them. A couple of technicians started unloading parts of the machine covered in mantles. Even so, the two tubes were easily identifiable. Suddenly, one of the machines they were using malfunctioned and dropped it's sensible cargo on the floor. "No, no, no! You idiots!" A voice came from inside the bullhead. "You are going to break the main stabilizer at this pace!" The source of the voice showed it self and walked towards the fallen parts. Two heavily modified Atlesian Knights-130 walked behind him. "Never send a man to do the job of a machine. Bah!"

The man wore a strange, copper colored jacket over a soft yellow shirt. The right side of the jacket extended up to his knee while the left side only reached to his hip. The left part of it had no sleeve, showing various small implants along the arm and a mechanical index finger, while the right one had it's sleeve reach to his wrist. He wore a belt which appeared to be made of metal, with several pouches strapped in it. The dark-orange pants didn't entirely reach to his feet, leaving some skin to show. Well, at least on the left one, as the right was almost completely covered in prosthesis, though not completely removed. His shoes were simply black but with shoelaces that appeared to be made of the same material as the belt.

He had a scar over his right ear, and his left one was partially mechanical. His eyes were a faint color of orange while his hair was completely black. The left side of the jaw and his lower chin were made of metal, indicating some damage around those parts. He wasn't handsome but the man gave a look of a battle hardened warrior. A small metal shoulder pad on his left showed his symbol: a skull with a cog instead of it's left half.

"Move away, you good for nothing piece of meat!" The man shouted at the scared technician while Onyx and Ozpin looked at the scene in surprise. The man stood for a second close to the piece and closed his eyes. In a second, several pieces of what appeared to be copper and bronze slipped out from the pouches and, to the surprise of the knight and the wizard, _melted_ together, slipping under the fallen piece and levitating it without effort.

He opened his eyes and directed his anger towards the already scared technician. "I don't want you close to my creations, you butterfingered excuse of a man!" The copper-themed man shouted at the face of the terrified mechanic. Or at least tried to, as he wasn't very tall. " Go inside the ship and do not touch anything else. Understood!?"

"Y-yes, sir!" The man saluted and almost ran away from the anger that the smaller man emanated. The two robots, which had a similar theme to the weird man, just looked at the running person emotionless.

The scarred man just grumbled and approached Onyx and Ozpin, seemingly without noticing them. Both of the Beacon members looked at each other and then back to the slowly approaching man and the floating machine piece. Ozpin cleared his throat, making the man stop and look up to them.

"Oh!" He said with a smile and a calmer face. "I hadn't seen you there."

"We've… noticed." Responded Ozpin. "I believe presentations are in order." He extended his hand. "My name is-"

The strange man reached Ozpin quickly and shook his hand vigorously. "Headmaster Ozpin, yes, of course!" He shook Ozpin's hand with such energy that almost shook the man himself. "I am Doctor Messingen, Michael Messingen." He turned to Onyx and the knight sheathed his sword to shake Michael's hand. "And you are… um…" Michael paused for a moment, blinking. "I actually have no idea who you are." He said while he still grasped Onyx's hand.

"Onyx Aureolis, though you most probably know me as the Black Kn-" He didn't get to finish talking.

"Ah, yes! Of course! How didn't I recognize the armor!?" He said, shaking Onyx's hand with incredible strength. "A pleasure, yes, a pleasure."

"Umm…" Onyx was quite stunned by the doctor's energy. Thankfully, Ozpin took hold of the situation.

"Mr. Messingen, I recommend we make haste. It is rather late and I would like to be finished as soon as possible." Said Ozpin.

Michael released the knight's hand. "Of course, of course." He then turned to the rest of the people moving the parts. "Let the parts down. _Carefully_." The people around them did as ordered and Michael used his Semblance again, this time choosing to use more metal and creating a complete machine. It wasn't something extremely well done: four legs that carried a big and empty platform. The two robots picked the parts and placed them carefully on the machine. Then, Michael used the metal to create copper strings to strap the parts and stop them from falling.

' _He is interesting.'_ Said Ember. _'A couple of screws loose but as far as I've seen in his soul, he seems like he could help us.'_

' _I don't know if I want to be screamed at for not being a machine.'_ Thought Onyx, as the man and his escort approached with his new creation and the parts on it. Curiously, the new machine was completely mobile.

"Well, shall we?" Asked Michael, gesturing towards the academy.

Ozpin nodded and guided the doctor and his robots through the main walkway towards the main tower. "I wanted to clear some doubts about this project." Michael started. Onyx was confused at his words, as he was the leading scientist of it, but Ozpin didn't seem to be bothered at all. "You see, the general told me that the patient for my machine was of utmost importance, but he didn't specify who he or she was, and I would like to see the results myself."

"Haven't you tested the machine yet?" Asked Onyx.

"Yes, but only with healthy people and not completely removing their Aura to another body." Answered Michael. "I don't even know if this procedure is going to be a complete transfusion or just a partial one."

"You need not to worry about that." Said Ozpin. "While we thank you for the work you and your team have put into creating this machine, it's patience and her… specifications are to remain secret."

"I understand, but the machine could-"

Ozpin cut the man off. "Do not worry. You sent us the specifications of it and we can take care of the rest here at Beacon." He continued after taking a sip from his cup. "With luck we won't need to use the machine and everything will solve itself out." He turned his head and looked at the doctor. "Don't get me wrong, I trust your expertise but I rather use the machine as last resort."

"Of course, but if it comes to using my Aura Transferor, it's results can help me improve it and use it in the benefit of more people." The doctor continued talking. "I'm sure you of all people can understand the benefits of-"

"I do." Ozpin cut off Michael for the second time. "But right now, it must remain hidden for the sake of Remnant itself. Trust me, it will be better for us all."

"Trust is built in honesty." Muttered the doctor. It wouldn't have been enough for Ozpin to hear, but Onyx did catch his words.

They arrived at the tower, where a few technicians were waiting to carry the machine down to the vault. The doctor undid his four-legged transport in a moment. They used some smaller Dust-propelled carts to carry the pieces inside. "You have my gratitude for your hard work, Mr. Messingen. I promise you that this machine will only be used in that patience and only for the good of the people of Remnant." With that he accompanied the other technicians inside, not before turning to Onyx. "There is a room prepared for the doctor in building C. Number 2-34. Would you mind guiding him to it?"

Onyx nodded once. "Of course." With that, the two men and the two robots waited as Ozpin disappeared inside of the tower. "Do you mind if I ask you something, doctor?" Onyx asked. The man in question shook his head and signaled to continue. "Why did you built the machine?"

"Why, for science, of course!" He answered, now more animated. Onyx turned his head to a side, confused. "Let me explain." Begun Michael. "We, humans and Faunus, have something that any other species lacks: creativity. If we combine that with our intelligence and knowledge we are able to create unbelievable things. That is what we all call science, to put it simply. For me, science is more than that. For me, science is not only a way to express ourselves but to help others while doing so. One of it's best representations are machines: we create them to help us with task that would normally be difficult or even impossible on our own. I'm not talking only about robots or weapons, but all of the machines that we use on our daily lives."

He paused for a moment. "If I create something, I will always try to do it in the name science, because it means doing it for the betterment of both humans and Faunus." He shrugged. "Even if it means loosing some lifes in the process in exchange of saving more in the future."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Some sacrifices must be made for us to advance in any way. Not all tests on humans or Faunus end up well, and for those that sacrifice themselves for improving other peoples lifes, the only thing we can do is finish the project." His tone of voice didn't show any type of sadness, just as if he was stating a fact.

"That is a pretty cold way of thinking, doctor." Onyx said.

"It is a cold world that we live in, Mr. Aureolis." Onyx could only nod to that statement.

"Please, no need to be formal with me. Call me Onyx."

"Then you can call me Michael, or doctor, if you want." Answered with a smile, shaking the knights hand once more, this time more calmly. "And please, don't misunderstand me. I won't send someone to a certain death in an experiment. If a life must be lost, then it must be for a good reason."

"I understood, Michael. No need to explain." Said Onyx. "It's a realistic way of thinking."

"Well, I'm a scientist after all." He said with a chuckle. Suddenly, he brought a hand to his forehead. "Oh! I completely forgot!" He moved towards his two robots and went to the back of one of them. "I had to deactivate them because some of those fools that accompanied me on the trip here thought they were 'uncomfortable' or 'creepy'. Bah!" He opened a panel on the robot's neck and pressed dome buttons. The robot shut down and Michael went to do the same to the other one. "A friend of mine, Mr. Polendina, helped me create them in other to serve as a prototype of sorts for his own creation. I'm really proud of them and they helped with a project that might change the world." He stood by the side of Onyx and turned to the robots. "C'mon, you two. There's someone you have to meet!"

Suddenly, the two robots booted up and his lights turned from red to different colors. The left one turned orange while the right one changed yellow. The left one started to stretch and hum in a female voice while the right one looked at her and spoke in a young male voice. "Why are you doing that? You don't have muscles to stretch, you idiot!"

The other robot stopped it's stretches and looked at the one that just spoke. "Well, I just felt like it, so screw you. The bullhead was crammed up with all the equipment." The lights brightened up every time they spoke. "Plus, having the P.L.I. deactivated doesn't feel right and you know it, Gold."

Onyx couldn't stop being impressed at this. "They have… personalities?"

"Oh, it's more than that, Onyx." He whistled and grabbed the robot's attention. "Stop ranting about. You act like children, honestly." The Atlesian-knights apologized and approached both of them. "Onyx, let me present two of my greatest triumphs: Copper" he pointed at the orange and girl-like voiced one, "and Gold." Then pointed to the other one. Both robots saluted as if they were soldiers to Onyx, who was surprised to say the least. "My fellow scientist and I created the P.L.I. and added it to a couple of frames. I ended up modifying them and using them as my personal escorts and assistants at the labs."

"That's right!" Said Copper. "Doc here improved our bodies greatly and he has taught us to understand Remnant and think independently."

"I keep hearing about this P.L.I.. What is it?" Asked Onyx.

"Personality and Learning Implant." Explained Gold. "It does what it says but if you are wondering, we are still machines, just really evolved ones."

The knight nodded. "Well, color me impressed, doctor." A proud chuckle came from Michael. "It does remind me of a student that has applied this year."

That caught Michael's attention. "Wouldn't that student be someone called Schwarz Cadmium, right?"

Onyx turned to the doctor. "Yes. How do you know?" His voice sounded suspicious, remembering the reasons why the boy hid the SIVA.

"Do not worry, I already know what he hides and I'm not here to take it." Said Michael. "I didn't even know my old student was here."

"Old student?"

"Yes, I was Schwarz teacher when his intelligence and passion lead him to the world of machines. He is a real genius and I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little envious of his achievements, but only the lowest of scums in our community would steal from another scientist." The doctor sighed. "It was truly a tragedy what happened to him and his team in Mistral. Nobody would expect such an attack on a secret facility. I searched for him in order to help him, but my work and his skills at remaining unnoticed stopped me from doing so."

"I'm sure he would be willing to see you after initiation." Onyx motioned to follow him to his room, the two talkative robots behind. "How long will you stay?"

"I honestly don't know." He threw his hands up in the air. "I would know if Ozpin told me how long he plans on keeping my machine, or at least how grave is the patience so I can make sure the machine doesn't fail when needed!"

"I see you aren't fan of secrets either." Said Onyx.

"Not at all. I tend to avoid them as much as possible. I've seen more friends and partners end up on each other's throats because of lies and secrets more times than I can count." He turned to Onyx with a serious face. "And even I can see that keeping secrets from huntsmen and huntresses is more dangerous than keeping them from any other person."

They arrived quickly to the room prepared for Mathias. "We only have one bed in there. If your robots sleep…"

Michael laughed slightly. "You don't need to worry about that, Onyx. They recharge while in sleep mode and they stay on two feet."

Onyx nodded and opened the room. The robots entered, followed by the doctor. Before the man could close the door, Onyx stepped his boot in front of it. "You are interesting, doctor. If you want to know more about the patience and her state, search for me tomorrow after initiation." With that, he stepped out of the way. "Good night, Michael."

The doctor closed the door, interested by the new turn of events.

* * *

The next morning started slowly. The students woke up early to prepare themselves for the initiation. The bathrooms were crowded and the students changed from their nightwear to their combat clothes and walked to the locker room, were they had left their weapons yesterday before curfew. Some of them were nervous about this, as sometimes people would die in the initiation, but most of them were excited to finally fight and enter the prestigious Beacon.

Meanwhile, the teachers did their own preparations. Onyx and Ozpin looked over the Emerald Forest, each with their minds in different places. Glynda did a last minute check of the cameras, and Oobleck and Port awaited at the landing pads, calmly standing watch if anything happens. Cyane played on her scroll beside the launching platforms, not worried about the initiation at all.

In the locker room, several people picked the weapons from their lockers and made the final preparations. A certain reaper talked argued with her sister. "I drink milk!"

"But what about when we form teams?" Asked Yang. On the other side, a different conversation was taking place between two Faunus.

"C'mon, Reb. This is going to be awesome! Show some excitement." The boy wearing a headset on his neck spoke to the timid horned girl by his side. He was adjusting some sort of gauntlets and boots with cables that had the same symbol that the one of the headset: a CD with the face of a fox on it. The outline of the disc was white while the one of the fox changed colors as if it was a rainbow.

"Y-you know I don't like being close to so many people." The goat Faunus by his side wore a beautiful light-purple dress with a skirt just above her knees. It had some markings in yellow around the end of the dress, but even then, it was easily visible that it was made to resist combat and to not impede it's wearer. Black long tights ended in deep blue boots with white trimmings and shoelaces. Her whole body was beautiful for a fully developed adolescent and her face had nothing to envy to the rest of the body. "I just hope we end up in the same team. I-I don't know what I would do if I didn't." She looked around at the rest of the students. "I don't know anybody in here and-!"

The boy laid a hand in her shoulder and looked at her in the eyes. "Rebecca, you are going to be alright. You are a skilled fighter and best of all, an awesome person." The boy smiled. "Whatever team you end up in, I'm sure everyone will be happy to have you as their teammate."

The girl blushed and smiled. "Th-thank you. You've always been there for me and I don't know how to repay you."

"You are here for me as I am here for you. You have already repaid me." The boy laughed. "And I would also like to be in the same team as you. Plus, life wouldn't be fun without Ox being a pain in my ass."

"Hey, that is not true!" Rebecca pouted. "She might be rude, but she also cares about you. I know that." She muttered the last part.

"I know." He said while he shrugged. "I'm just messing with ya."

On the other side of the room, the Spartan and the heiress were talking to Jaune, none of them noticing the boy covered in a cape and sunglasses doing apparently nothing. "Actually, Jaune, I think you'd make a great leader."

"D'oh, stop it!" Answered Jaune, seemingly embarrassed by the compliment. Schwarz laughed internally and smiled at the strange conversation beside him, while he ran diagnostics on the arm and eye in order to have them prepared.

"Seriously, please stop it." Intervened Weiss. "This kind of behavior should not be encouraged!"

"Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for team Jaune. Spots are filling up quickly." Jaune either ignored or didn't hear her comment. Schwarz couldn't decide if the boy simply had an iron will to be close to the Schnee or was simply _that_ dense. He was leaning to the second option. "Now, I'm not supposed to do this, but, maybe I could pull up some strings." He leaned closer to the heiress, making her lean back away from him. "Find a place for you. What do you say?"

Before he could continue listening, the system advised him the calibrations and last minute checks were done. He rose from his seat, cracking his neck and turning to the door. "Aahhh!" The sudden scream was the only warning he got to turn around and dodge the incoming spear and the blonde boy caught on it. His self taught skills and the enhanced reflexes from the SIVA allowed him to make a swift movement and dodge the spear. He turned to the dazed boy impaled on the wall by his hoodie and then to the two girls with a confused look. "I am so sorry!" Said Phyrra, covering her mouth with her hands and looking despaired. "I didn't notice you were there!"

Schwarz sighed. "It's fine. Just look were you throw your weapon next time." He said as he approached said weapon. "You are lucky I have good reflexes. It could have ended much worse." He uncoiled the lance while his enhanced eye analyzed it. The weapon was a combination between spear, short sword and rifle. Extremely well done and maintained.

"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful, I promise." Schwarz handed her weapon back and turned to leave before the other girl interrupted him.

"You know, it's impolite to meet someone and not present yourself." Said Weiss. "Specially before someone as famous as her."

Schwarz turned and looked at the heiress from behind the sunglasses. She looked stern but he wasn't intimidated at all. "I think I'll pass." He said without a hint of emotion. "Seeing as how one of you threw her weapon at me and the other one told her to do so." He turned again, his cape tailing behind and showing his symbol. He smirked. "But, if you are so _eager_ to know me, you can at least buy me dinner first, _Schnee_."

Pyrrha held a laugh while Weiss opened and closed her mouth without saying a word. "Ugh! The nerve of-" She finally managed to speak and made to follow the boy to the cliffs, with Pyrrha trailing behind.

"It was nice meeting you!" Said Pyrrha to a still dazed Jaune in the floor.

"Likewise." He said in a tired voice.

Luckily for him, Yang and Ruby came to his assistance while the remaining students departed to the place of the initiation.

* * *

The students arrived at the cliffs and were placed in the strange platforms in a random order. Ozpin and Onyx waited while Glynda finished explaining to the students while Cyane prepared her camera to record the launch. She and Neo liked to laugh at the faces the unaware participants made when they were launched. It seemed as this year most of them were prepared, however.

"Each of you will be given teammates… Today." Said Glynda. A small whine from Ruby was one of the reactions that Onyx was able to hear from the students.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon." Continued Ozpin. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next 4 years." Onyx wondered if Ozpin liked to send contradictory messages. How was anyone going to be paired with someone they can work well with if they are partnered with the first person they see!?

"What!?" Onyx couldn't blame the red reaper for her reaction, though he wondered why it sounded like broken glass for a second there.

The knight intervened with the next part. "When you have your partner, you shall make your way to the northern end of the forest. _When_ you find enemies on the way, destroy them, or they will end your career as huntsmen prematurely."

A loud gulp could be heard and Onyx could guess from whom it came from. Ozpin picked up where he left. "You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation. But our instructors will not intervene." That wasn't completely true, but as long as a extreme situation didn't present itself, the teachers would remain at Beacon. "You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately."

"Are there any questions?"

"Yeah, um, sir-"

"Good! Now, take your positions." Onyx could hear a giggle from Cyane, who enjoyed the small peril of the blonde boy.

With that, almost every student prepared for what they had correctly guessed as being launched in the air. Onyx watched as the students went flying and Ozpin answered the questions of the fearful boy. He was definitely not ready for this.

The students catapulted to the forest, some with more excitement than others as proven by the girl with a grenade launcher and her shouting. Jaune Arc launched last with a scared scream and Cyane came close to were Onyx was standing while checking her video she recorded in her scroll. "Aww."

He turned towards his companion. "What is it?"

She smiled. "Only that blonde guy made a good face for the video."

Onyx sighed. Leaving Cyane's games aside, this year was going to be definitely be… different, to say the least. He just hoped it turned out to be in a good way.

* * *

 **A.N.: I hope that you liked this chapter. And I apologize for taking longer than usual. I 'm playing with my friends in the PS4 since I couldn't while I had exams.**

 **Anyway, cesarjunior233, I hope you liked the representation of your character. I had the idea to give him a couple of Atlesian-knights 130 as his personal assistants and friends. If you don't like them, just tell me and I will get rid of them.**

 **Have a great day!**


	13. Chapter X

**A.N.: hello there! So, late again. Yeah, sorry. I started writing the interlude before this chapter when I realized I hadn't made the teams yet, so I finished this chapter at 2 a.m. and decided to wait until today to post it.**

 **Good news is that tomorrow you will have a small interlude apart from this chapter.**

 **Either way, this chapter has more fighting in it, specially towards the end. I would like to know if you like how I approach the fights and if you want me to do it in a different way.**

 **As for OCs, I have decided to wait a little bit before introducing new ones, simply because I don't want to saturate the story with all the OCs at the same time. I want to give some time to the ones I have already introduced, then I will present more and give them some time too.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter X**

 **Initiation**

 _This_ was not how he expected to start the day. Sure, he knew Beacon had a more… extreme way of doing things, but being launched from a platform to a Grimm-infested forest was not what he was expecting. That didn't mean he wasn't prepared for the situation he was stuck in right now, though.

After all, what was falling from several meters from the sky if not a minor inconvenience? Especially to someone who had an arm made from the most advanced technology in Remnant.

In the height of his arc, he could see the other students preparing their landing strategies. Some preferred a more quiet and simple approach, others valued brute force overall, and then there was the blonde guy screaming his lungs out like a gutted pig. He hoped he didn't had to encounter the splatted remains of the poor boy around the forest.

Realizing his time was short, he looked back to the trees in front of him. With a simple command, his arm became something akin to the tip of a spear. Seeing a tall and thick tree closing in he decided on the next course of action. The tree was still too far away to reach, so he used his arm and extended it as if it was a cable. The strength and the pointed tip of his arm made it easy to impale it on the tree, thinning the arm every meter it extended.

It was a weird sensation, having your own arm to transform and extend so suddenly, but these two years he had of training made using the SIVA something as easy as breathing, as if it had been a part of himself for far longer than it had really been. It also helped that he had been reprograming the nanomachines constantly to fit his use, and that those machines did the same on their own.

When he felt the arm impale itself on the tree, he sent a silent command and the arm started pulling him closer to the tree at a blinding speed. He reinforced his legs with his Aura and the SIVA and readied himself for impact. As expected, the tree did not withstand the hit and broke in half under his feet. Instead of panicking, he pulled himself to the point where his arm was impaled while the tree fell. Standing on two feet, he jumped off the tree before it impacted with the ground, killing an unlucky Ursa that was roaming about. He waited for the dust to settle and jumped down from the branch he had landed.

Looking around, he used his machine to scan the surroundings and found what he was looking for. The teachers said that they would be monitored and graded, so they must had a way to see what was going on in the forest. Indeed, several cameras where expertly hidden from both trainees and Grimm. He had the SIVA, though, and a good scan detected the closest camera. He approached the location and found it hidden behind some leaves in a bush, but leaving the lens unobstructed for recording whatever crossed it.

He knelt in front of the camera and picked something from his pocket. It was a core, a small one that he had carried with him in his luggage to Beacon. He had several of these and they were fairly easy to make, and all of them connected to the main core, which he had in his arm. That made giving orders to the cores possible, even if they weren't connected directly to him.

He placed the cored and smiled for the camera. In a few seconds after being activated, the SIVA consumed part of the bush it was in and infected the camera. After that, he had control over it, and entering the closed network of the forest cameras wasn't difficult. Several screens popped up in his eye, showing students in some of them. But one of them showed his target: the temple and the relics. Noting the position of the camera, he started running towards his objective.

* * *

Honestly, while Nickel may not be the strongest of combatants, his Semblance was something that he wouldn't change for any other. Being able to simply create platforms from soundwaves and using them not only to slow his descent, but to move over the forest faster was a great advantage.

He had landed atop of a tree and was surveilling the forest when an explosion caught his attention. Looking towards the sky, away from him, he saw Rebecca. At that distance it would be almost impossible to see who it was, especially with the sun blinding him partially, but there were several factors that signaled that figure to be his childhood friend.

First, the explosion came from Fire Dust crystals from the hands of the figure. Having to live in the mines for quite a while and having a friend which used Fire Dust to create fire and control it with her Semblance made the sound quite familiar to him. Second, the figure wore clothes that appeared to be similar to the ones Rebecca wore, at least seemed to be like them from the distance he was watching. And finally, the fire had turned purple after the explosion.

The last part was the most obvious to him. He honestly doubted the _Schnee_ had brought a new type of Dust with the exact same properties than Reb's Semblance.

He watched as she slowed her descent with the fire and moved towards where she was going to land. His thoughts, on the other hand, were focused on the heiress. Of all the training schools she could go, she chose Beacon, and in the same year as him. He couldn't stand it. Wherever he went, there was either their Dust or some cooperative project that had their symbol or signature. It always reminded him of the _hell_ he and his parents went through, and that many other Faunus are going through _right now_.

However, he hadn't met Weiss or any other Schnee for a fact. He doubted all of them were the same, but he also doubted that she wasn't a spoiled brat. He didn't have much hope for a Schnee, but she made it into Beacon and that spoke of her ability in combat. If she proved to be different from the patriarch of the family, then he would try to give her a chance.

That is, if she hadn't paid just to get into the academy. Because if she did, she wouldn't survive initiation at all.

His train of thought stopped as he neared the location where Reb had landed. When he came closer, he could hear the shots from her wrist cannons and the pained screams of Grimm. Without losing time, he moved closer to the place the fighting was occurring. From the branches in the trees, he caught sight of Rebecca fighting against a pack of Beowolves. Well, 'fighting' wasn't the right term, she was destroying them.

None of the Grimm were able to get close to her, and she wasn't even using her Semblance. Her weapons, Verba Imperatrix, consisted of wrist mounted cannons with a few small Fire Dust rockets on the underside of the wrist. Apart from that, she also had a wrist blade on each one. What was impressive of this blades was that they doubled as bladed whips, extending and retracting with the push of a button, allowing Rebecca to fight both in close quarters and in firefights.

Her timid demeanor disappeared during battle, changing into one of concentration, even if her double personality didn't take control. The range and mastery of her weapons allowed her to keep the pack away from her, not letting a single one near, either killing or greatly maiming them when they tried.

The problem with Beowolves was that they tried to surround their prey. As the pack dwindled and kept their fruitless attack from the front, the Alpha had managed to make his way behind the girl. The last of the Beowolves went out on a whimper when one of the bladed whips entered his mouth and exited through it's neck. The place of the battle was a gore fest of disappearing Grimm innards and parts. Rebecca retracted her blade and sighed. "Well, so much for trying to have a quiet landing."

It was at this moment that Nickel raised his headphones to his ears, as the Alpha prepared to jump on the back of the girl. In a single second all would be over. The beast would launch itself to the girl by surprise and rip her Aura to pieces, just as it will do to her body the moment it's claws and teeth reached her skin, bone and muscle. The beast propelled itself towards the girl, ready to finish her.

Or it would have, if it wasn't for the soundwave cutting it's neck in half and making the body fall short, only the head reaching the feet of the girl. Reb turned around at the sudden commotion only to land her eyes in the figure of Nickel falling gracefully from above. He wasn't the heavy hitter of the two of them in most cases, so in order to deal real damage with low cost attacks, he needed to learn every weak point his enemies had. "I think the option of a quiet landing was over when you used your Dust to explode in the sky." He said, smiling to the surprised girl.

"Well, it _did_ make you come here for me." She answered.

"Hard not to, when you literally grab the attention of half the forest." He approached her and handed her a couple of smaller, extra headphones he had, connected to his scroll playing the same music. "Anyway, our objective is north, so we should star heading that way." While having both people in a pair wear headphones in a dangerous terrain was a foolishness, Reb trusted Nickel when they both were wearing them. She didn't knew how he managed to pick any other sound except his music without his extra ears, but he always heard or noticed if anything was amiss, even if he seemed distracted.

He started walking when Rebecca called his attention. "Ejem." He turned around confused, hearing her even with the headphones and the music on. "North is _that_ way." She said, pointing towards the complete opposite side he was walking.

He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Right. Better if you take the lead on this one."

Reb rolled her eyes and lifted her headphones to her ears. If there was one fault that she could pin to Nickel, it would be his _extremely_ bad sense of orientation.

* * *

Lena had been walking for _hours_. Well, only for fifteen minutes, but still! She had landed using one of her knives that had a cable attached to it, throwing it into a branch and doing loops around it, reducing her momentum. When she had stopped enough, she launched herself upwards and down to the branch breaking it and freeing her knife while landing on the ground perfectly.

From then on she had found _nothing_. No Grimm, no students, and she was 100% sure she was heading north! Her sister had taught her to orient herself no matter in what terrain or situation she found herself in. The only thing that caught his attention was the blonde boy that was speared by the hoodie onto a tree. She decided not to go into his direction, simply because someone else had already helped the boy out, and she doubted that whoever threw that spear was going to leave him _hanging around_. Plus, that boy-

…

Oh, God Brothers, she was spending too much time around Yang. She could only imagine the nightmare Ruby had to deal with each single day.

She walked for another minute until she heard the sound of fighting. Approaching it, she found one of the _only_ students she didn't want to find: Cardin Winchester. Luckily for her, he already had a partner and they didn't appear to have seen her. Two other boys stood in the clearing alongside Winchester and his partner. They were fighting a couple of Ursa.

While their individual strengths were above average, their teamwork, even in pairs was severely lacking, to put it softly. They dealt with the beasts soon enough, however, and proceeded to the temple. When they were gone, she stepped into the clearing and was about to continue her walk towards the relics, when she heard something.

It was faint and she couldn't pinpoint the source, but it was close. She readied her SMG and one of her knives in her left hand. She closed her eyes and waited for the sound to make it's appearance again. When it did, she identified it with the rustling of leaves above her. Something was in the trees, stalking her. She may not have the hearing of her Faunus sister, but she was trained to be a huntress, and moving Aura towards the ears enhanced them, as it did with any other part of the body.

She heard the rustling closer and looked up while she drew Slytha. She was about to shoot when she realized that the attacker was too close. She rolled out of the way and the attacker landed on the ground before taking a step back away from her. When she looked up, she found herself staring at a Griffon. That definitely surprised her. Griffons were supposed to be far away from the kingdoms and even when they closed in, they'd do it in small packs. Looking closer, she noted that the Grimm was quite young, with only a few bone plates and of a smaller size than the average one.

That made things easier. An adult could resist high-caliber rounds with ease and would have never split from the pack, unlike older and giant Nevermores, which separated once they were big enough. This one must have flown close by to the kingdom and sensing the people in it, closed in for picking up some preys. Nevertheless, a Griffon was an extremely dangerous Grimm, both because it's mobility in air and ground and the thick hides they have. That, and the sharp claws and beaks.

They started circling each other, looking for weaknesses and openings in the opponent. Lena silently changed the setting of her SMG to full-auto, seeing as the clearing they were in wasn't too big. The Griffon eyed her warily, reading it's wings and legs to jump at her at a moment's notice.

After a few seconds, the Griffon lost it's patience and stopped, jumping straight for Lena. She readied herself to dodge the attack and counter at close range, either stabbing on the beast's neck or eye. She held her knife tightly and-

Before she could roll, a weird, machine-like tangle of red cables impacted the side of the Grimm, pinning it to a tree. Before the monster could react, the… _thing_ that had impacted the Grimm started literally _consuming_ it. The terrified and pained shrieks of the creature send chills down her spine, as the red material started to grow in size, consuming more and more of the creature.

The cables entered the Griffon and devoured from inside out, starting to appear from his mouth and nostrils, some even eating it's eyes, prolonging the suffering of the creature. Even so, the whole process only lasted a few seconds until the entire Grimm was consumed to nothingness. The tangle of cables retracted, leaving the extra parts created pulsating on the ground and around part of the tree. Lena turned back and stared at Schwarz, whose arm took the form of a human one once more.

He still had his sunglasses and cape on. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Lena breathed out and sheathed her weapons. "Yeah, but that was my kill. I had everything under control."

Not willing to start a meaningless argument, or taking the bait to do whatever she wanted, he shrugged. "Sure." He approached the heap of SIVA left behind by consuming the Griffon. "Log #147: results on applying the construct to the type of Grimm known as 'Griffon' seem to be the exact same as the others." He kneeled one knee on the ground, examining the nanomachines. Lena stepped closer, curious. "If applied while alive, the SIVA is able to completely consume the Grimm in question, but if killed sooner, the body will still disappear, making it unable to serve as fuel for the construct. Finish log."

"So that's why you kept it alive while your machine ate it?" He nodded. "Dude, that's really gross… and disturbing." She said with a disgusted face.

"Sorry you had to see that." He said honestly. "But while I am here to graduate as a huntsmen, I am also a scientist, and I will take any chance I get to improve my creation."

"If you say so…" She answered. "But if you do that again, a little warning or covering the body before eating it would be nice. I'm going to have nightmares with that SIVA thing."

"Hmm…" He seemed to be in thought for a moment. "Seems reasonable. I'll try to cover the Grimm next time."

"I know it must be import- wait, what!?" She turned to him. "You… agree?"

Schwarz shrugged. "I consider myself a man of logic, and while I have grown numb to what the SIVA can do, I understand that it can displease people if they see it. If in the next occasion that I do my experiments I have time, I will cover the body."

"That's… appreciated." She looked surprised for a moment. "Oh! Lena Nyx, by the way, but we have already met." She extended her left hand and he shook it, this time without complaints.

"Schwarz Cadmium, and yes we had, but I didn't get your name." He grasped her hand with his cybernetic arm.

She looked at the machine. "It's… smoother than I thought. You really did a good work with it."

To her surprise, he actually seemed a tiny bit flustered by the compliment. "Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without my team. They wanted to use it to help the people of Remnant, so when they died, I decided to use it that way: by helping people."

"I also want to help people." Said Lena, as they walked calmly towards the temple. "And I think the best way to do so is by being a huntress. My sister thinks it's better to 'live and let live' but I think that together we stand a chance."

Schwarz nodded. "A little naïve but true at the same time. However, who said a little bit naivety doesn't help sometimes?" He said with a smile.

"Exactly." She said while smiling too. "By the way, do you eat by that arm of yours or…?"

"I could." He answered. "But I rather do it as a normal person if I have the time."

"Can it transform into anything?"

"With enough materials and the correct commands and schematics, yes."

"Do you connect it to the CCTS or-?"

He interrupted her. "If we are going to be in a team, I rather wait to answer those questions so that I don't have to repeat the answers. And some of them I rather keep to myself until I know I can trust you with all the information."

"Right, fair point." She smiled and walked a little bit in front of him. "But I will show you that you can trust me completely. I told you back at Beacon that I would keep my mouth shut, and so I will!"

He laughed at her energy. "You sure have the mindset."

She raised her fist to his side. "For a good partnership and an even better team!"

He raised an eyebrow but smiled and complied nonetheless, bumping his fist. "Prost."

She raised her hands in the air. "Wooo! Team cyborg man and badass Lena are out hunting. Watch out, Grimm and evil doers!"

Schwarz stared at her. "Don't call me that."

"Team _grumpy_ cyborg man and Lena, it is then!"

He sighed. They were still a few minutes away from the temple and it didn't appear as if any others were in the close vicinity, looking at the cameras. They would reach the temple before they meet anyone else, so he was stuck with Lena until then.

"You know," she begun, "you behave like an old man sometimes." She smiled. "A _grumpy_ old man."

He sighed again.

* * *

"Our last pair has been formed, gentleman." Spoke Glynda while she approached, scroll in hand.

Onyx nodded, seeing the same as her. "Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren." Indeed, the camera showed the boy greeting said girl while she hung from a branch above him. "Poor boy, I can't possibly imagine those two getting along."

"They did apply together." Noted Cyane. "And they have been together since they arrived in Beacon. I don't know, but they seem pretty close to me."

Glynda hummed. "Maybe you are right, Miss Mika. Still, he is probably better than Miss Nikos."

Onyx nodded. The Invincible Girl had ended up with the Arc, who now had unlocked his Aura thanks to her. "I agree with Glynda, Ozpin. What were you thinking when you let the boy in?"

"He is not ready for this level of combat." Ozpin remained calm and quiet during the talk, as if it wasn't directed at him.

Onyx sighed. "Of course, more secrets. If it's potential that you see in the boy, then hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I don't fathom his chances."

Glynda couldn't help but agree with the knight for once. "Anyway, they should reach the temple in a few minutes. Speaking of which, what did you use as relics this year?"

Onyx smiled. This he knew well, and he knew exactly from where he had taken the chess pieces. Cyane knew as well and smiled, moving closer to where Onyx and the Headmaster stood. "Yeah, Oz, tell Glynda what did you use as relics this year. Or better, why not tell her when you continue the chess match you had against her." She continued only for Ozpin to hear. "If I recall correctly, you were about to lose."

While Ozpin kept a calm façade, Onyx could see a small drop of sweat going down in the side of his face. Everybody at Beacon knew not to instigate the wrath of Glynda Goodwitch, lest you wanted to visit the infirmary and make it your permanent home.

Before said teacher could ask, all their scrolls started to sound. Looking at it, the four pairs of eyes – six if you counted Cyane's extra ones – went wide at the notification. The Fall Maiden, Amber, had awoken.

There was a moment of silence in the area until Onyx spoke. "I will go check on her." Before Glynda could say anything against it, he continued. "I have to meet some people after initiation and I won't have time to check her state, nor will Ember"

Glynda was about to protest until Ozpin cut her off. "It's alright, Glynda. He has already helped her once, and if anything goes wrong, he and Ember can take care of the Maiden." He turned to face the woman. "And you still have that meeting with the council to make sure our budget for the festival doesn't change."

Glynda send him a stern look. "That is something _you_ should be doing." She sighed. "Fine, I'll take care of that, but when I'm finished I will go to see the Maiden."

Onyx nodded and Ozpin turned back to his scroll. "Cyane," the girl turned to look at the knight, "stay here and make sure everything goes alright."

She saluted as a soldier with a smile. "Will do! Take care of that girl."

He nodded and moved towards the CCTS tower alongside Glynda.

* * *

Back in the forest, Schwarz and Lena reached the temple. Honestly, it was more a group of pillars and stands in a circle than a temple. In each of the stands there was a chess piece and some of them already appeared to be taken.

"It seems we are not the first ones here." Mused Lena, with her hands behind her head while they approached the site.

"Indeed. There are two pieces missing." He approached the 'relics' and hummed. "Chess pieces…"

Lena looked at her partner. "Something wrong?"

He shook his head. "Just curious about why they choose chess pieces." He looked back at the pieces. "It appears there is a pair of each piece: two white pawns, two black ones, etc."

She looked closer, noticing that the scientist was right. "You think that this is how they pick the teams?"

"It does look like so." He answered. "But we won't know until we pass the initiation and reach Beacon." He walked closer and examined each piece. "Got any preference?" He asked.

"I've never been a chess player myself. I prefer videogames. But if I had to choose…" She walked to the center of the temple, looking at the remaining pieces. "I think I'd pick this one." Lena reached to the white queen, although it looked more yellow than white.

Schwarz nodded. He honestly didn't care too much about the piece, only to pick one and reach Beacon. Before they could leave, a voice called them by the edge of the forest. "Hey, Lena!"

Both of them turned and saw a blonde girl waving at them and a raven haired girl beside her, looking unimpressed at everything. The two girls approached and their features became clearer. Both of them were beautiful in their own way, but Schwarz noted that the SIVA identified cat ears under the bow of the raven haired girl. If she was hiding them, he wasn't about to reveal it. That would be very hypocritical from him. "Oh! Hi, Yang!"

"You know them?" Asked Schwarz while the other pair approached.

"Only the blonde one, Yang." She answered. "The other one, though, I have no idea who she is."

"Anything I should know about her?" She sent him a questioning look. "I don't want to make myself the enemy of somebody because I said the wrong things."

"Careful to the extreme, huh?" He could only nod. "Nah, you don't need to worry about that with her. Just don't mess with her sister… or touch her hair." Lena turned extremely serious at the last statement. "Like, seriously, _don't_ touch the hair."

"What are you two whispering about?" The other two girls had reached them, though only Yang talked out of the two, the other just examining both of them.

"Nothing." Replied Lena. "I am not the only one with a partner here, right?" She extended her hand to the other girl. "Lena Nyx, and the caped guy beside me is Schwarz Cadmium."

The other girl looked at the hand in front of her for a moment. "She is a friend from Signal. We went to the same class and graduated together."

The other girl grasped Lena's hand. "Blake Belladonna." She said with a smile. She did the same with Cadmium. He then repeated the gesture to Yang, hiding his arm the whole time.

"A pleasure." Answered him. "I recommend you take one of the relics in order to get moving as soon as possible. The sooner we return to Beacon, the better."

Blake nodded and Yang moved to the pieces. "How about a cute little pony?"

Blake rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide a smile on her face. "Sure."

The four of them stepped closer. "That wasn't too hard." Mentioned Yang.

"Well," started Blake, "it's not like this place is very difficult to find."

"Yeah, it's pretty much in the center of the forest." Said Lena. "It would have been harder if it was in a cave or something like that."

Schwarz remained silent for a few seconds while scanning the cameras on the forest. "Now that we have our pieces, I suggest we start moving." He begun. "The closest way towards the cliffs should be right through the forest again." He said, pointing in a specific direction. "Unless you have any other ideas."

Before anyone could answer, a scream sounded throughout the forest, reaching them. "Some girl's in trouble!" While Schwarz and Lena tried to pinpoint the source of the scream, Blake looked up. "Guys, did you hear that? What should we do?"

Blake pointed upwards, worry and confusion in her face. Everyone turned their heads up, just in time to see Jaune collide with Ruby, who was falling from the sky as the boy came flying from the side. "Did your sister just fall from the sky?"

Before Yang could answer, an Ursa appeared out of the forest, swinging wildly before collapsing. A girl on it's back rolled to the ground. "Aw, it's broken."

Everyone was confused at the turn of events, more because of the boy that appeared behind the Ursa, breathing heavily. "Nora?" Said the boy, clearly talking to the girl. "Please… don't ever do that again."

"I'm Queen of the castle, I'm Queen of the castle!" The girl sung as she had managed to slip out of the boy's sight and pick a white rook piece.

"NORA!" Shouted the boy.

"Coming, Ren." Said the orange haired girl, Nora, between laughs.

"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" Asked an even more confused Blake.

"So it would seem…" Answered Schwarz, just as confused as his partner and the other two girls.

Without a moment of respite, the trees around the clearing fell as a red haired girl was pursued by a giant Deathstalker. She managed to dodge it's claws while calling her partner. "Jaune!"

"Pyrrha!" Answered someone from the trees, most probably the boy that flew right into Ruby before.

Said girl jumped from the tree to the surprise of her sister. "Ruby?"

"Yang!" Answered the red caped girl, happily.

"Nora!" The energetic girl popped between them before they could hug, scaring them both for a moment.

"Did she just run all the way here with a Deathstalker on her tail?" Even though nobody answered, it was pretty obvious that Blake was right.

Losing her patience, Yang screamed for everyone in the clear to hear it. "I can't take it anymore! Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?"

Lena and Schwarz could almost count the two _literal_ seconds that passed before her sister called her attention again. "Um… Yang?" She said, as she pointed at the sky, where a giant Nevermore flew over their heads. The white clad figure of Weiss Schnee could be seen hanging from one of the claws.

While the others shifted their attention to the heiress, Schwarz noticed one of the cameras going offline, completely shrouded in static. Another one did the same, then another one, continuing in a path from somewhere in the forest, heading towards…

Towards their location.

Lena noted the worry in his face. "Something wrong, Schwarz?"

He nodded. "Some cameras are going offline, but not from shutdown." He turned to face her. "Something it's destroying them, and it's heading towards us."

While the others debated whether the Schnee would fall or not, she kept talking to him. "Can you see what it is? Are there any other students close to it?"

"I cannot see it, and the only two remaining ones are almost here. At this pace, whatever is destroying the cameras will be here in a few minutes."

Lena thought for a moment before answering, a calm but serious tone alongside the same face. "Then we wait for them and move. We only need the relics."

"Agreed." He kept looking at the cameras while Lena moved to address the other trainees there.

"Now we can die together!" Said Yang in a joking manner.

"Not if I can help it!" Answered Ruby, using the recoil of Crescent Rose to reach the Deathstalker quicker. The creature simply swatted her away.

"D-don't worry! Totally fine!" She turned around only to be met face to face with the creature. Shooting at it to gain some distance, she started running. Her sister tried to run towards her but the Nevermore had other plans. From the air, it launched it's razor sharp feathers, nailing Ruby's cape on the ground and blocking the path from Yang.

"She's going to die at this pace!" Shouted Lena. "Schwarz!" The boy turned to her. "I have a plan. Can you launch me?"

The scientist nodded and smiled. He reached with his artificial arm to her while a portion of the machines went to the floor to create a platform. When she grasped the arm, the platform grabbed his feet and started to rotate, increasing the speed by the second. "Now!"

She let go of the arm and flew towards Ruby. Even then, she doubted she could make it. Before the stinger could hit Ruby, though, a wave of fire and… sound(?) impacted the monster's tail, sending it to the side, where it got stuck in an instant wall of ice that appeared from the ground. Not willing to let the chance go and seeing as how her friend was safe, she twirled in the air and unsheathed Slytha, changing it into semi-automatic mode and landing two perfect shots in two of it's eyes.

She landed and ran to where Ruby was. When reaching the other side of the wall, she could only hear the end of her conversation with who she supposed was the Schnee. "You're fine." Said the heiress.

She sighed in relief before speaking, bringing the attention of the two girls. "Ruby, what the fuu-hell was that!?"

"Um, sorry, Lena, I may have gotten carried away and-"

"Next time, please, wait for back up." She said, cutting Ruby off. "I don't want to think what would have happened if she" she pointed at Weiss, "wasn't here." She turned to said girl while she walked to the temple and Yang ran to her sister. "Thanks for saving her back there."

"It's fine. I wasn't going to let her die, even if what she did was…"

"Reckless?" Guessed Lena.

"I was going to say stupid, but I guess that serves too." She turned and extended a hand. "Weiss Schnee."

She shook it with a smile. "Lena Nyx. It was pretty cool, nonetheless." She continued. "How did you do the fire and the wave to move the stinger?"

Weiss gave her a confused look. "What fire? What are you talking about?"

That confused Lena. If she didn't cast that wave, then who did? As if answering the silent question, a voice came from the other part of the clearing, close to them. "That would have been us."

They were close to the ruins that hold the relics when they turned around. Two people appeared from the forest. The boy wore a jacket, headphones, black pants and had his boots and gauntlets with cables, pulsing with a beat that they couldn't hear. As for the girl, she was, without other word, gorgeous. Even her clothes resembled ones of royalty, although her stance was shy and guarded. "I am Nickel Timberwolf and she is my partner, Rebecca Oxblood."

"Um… h-hi. A pleasure." She said with a small smile.

Before they could continue, the rest of the present students reached them, including the Yang and Ruby. "As much as I would like to meet you all," started Schwarz, "we are in quite the… situation."

Lena looked to the Grimm: the Deathstalker wouldn't be stuck for long and the Nevermore was waiting on his companion to strike together or follow them if they tried to escape. Plus, the thing that Schwarz mentioned was still on it's way here. "He is right. We need to either get rid of them," she said pointing to the Grimm, "or get your relics and get to the cliffs."

"There's no sense in fighting them." Intervened Weiss. "We have our objective in front of us."

"She's right." Agreed Ruby. "Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the cliffs." She nodded to Weiss. "There's no point in fighting these things."

Lena smiled. "Okay, everyone. You heard them. Whatever pair doesn't have a relic, pick one and let's go!"

Said pairs reached to the relics. Ruby picked the remaining white knight while Jaune did the same with the white rook. Rebecca neared the pieces and looked at them for a moment before picking up the white queen and turning with a smile to Nickel. "Did you pick that piece, or was it Ox?"

The girl hummed for a moment before answering. "It was kind of an agreement."

When everyone had their pieces, Ren spoke. "Time we left."

"Right. Let's-" Before Ruby could finish, an enormous Grimm burst out of the forest behind the Deathstalker. The Grimm itself was made of several rocks, some with Dust on them, both in the 'legs' and torso of the creature. The arms were made of rooted out trees, two on each side working as something like arms. A top of the torso, the mask of a Geist could be seen. It adopted the position similar to that of a Beringel.

"Huh." Said Schwarz, everyone turning at him. "So _that's_ what has been destroying the cameras this whole time."

"Well, it doesn't matter." Said Lena. "Let's go. Now!"

Everyone moved towards the cliffs, with the three giant Grimm close to them.

* * *

"Should I go down there and help them?" Asked Cyane. "A Geist is no joke and with the other two alongside it, the situation might escalate quickly."

"Hasn't it done already?" Mused Ozpin, looking at the feed. "Have some trust in them. I'm sure they'll make it safe and sound."

Cyane shrugged. "If you say so, Oz." She sat down. "A shame." Ozpin looked at her and she smiled. "I don't have any popcorn to accompany the fight."

Ozpin smiled and turned back to the camera in his scroll. "It would have been nice to have some, yes."

Unbeknownst to Ozpin, Cyane noted they were heading to the ruins that were atop of the Kiln, as Onyx had told her. She just hoped she didn't had to save anyone to falling into the canyon. Luckily, they had already taken back the sword in there, as to not leave the weapon in the middle of nowhere.

* * *

They reached the ruins, the students dispersed. The Nevermore had cut their way up, standing in the ruined tower. The Deathstalker appeared soon, followed by the Geist. The orange haired girl, Nora, managed to drive of the Nevermore temporarily, but most of them had to move closer to the ruins because of the charge of the giant scorpion. The Geist on it's part, chose to remain back and throw rocks at the running students.

While Lena, Schwarz, Rebecca and Nickel managed to stay back, the rest crossed the bridge, or at least tried to, as the Nevermore dived in between and broke the bridge, separating them. Lena took a look at the situation and called to Schwarz. "We are not going to make it at this pace."

He smiled. "I may be able to help with that." With a single look to Rebecca and Nickel on the other side, he activated his Semblance. _'Can you three hear me?'_

' _What the- how are you doing that?'_ The same question that Nickel 'voiced' had appeared in the other's minds.

' _It is my Semblance.'_ Answered Schwarz. _'It allows me to form a link between people and enhance their mental capabilities slightly. It will allow us to communicate and coordinate faster.'_ Giving a look to the Geist, he continued. _'We are going to need it.'_

' _Can you bring the rest into this… link?'_ Asked Lena, getting the attention of the Geist before it could throw a rock to the rest in the tower, and dodging it, shooting back to keep it distracted.

' _I could, but that would be too many voices at once.'_ He joined his partner and launched his arm towards the beast's leg, making it loose balance and change it's attention to him. _'Coordination would be even harder seeing as how we have three extremely resilient targets to deal with.'_

' _Okay. Got it.'_ Said Nickel, activating his own Semblance and using Wind Dust to boost the speed of the four of them. When the Geist swung one of it's arms to the scientist, he moved extremely fast, dodging the attack without problem, but almost loosing balance when stopping, not expecting the extra speed.

' _How do we kill it?'_ Asked Rebecca, shooting a missile to the rock, but doing very little damage. _'This thing keeps tanking our hits.'_

Lena threw one of her knives with Dust in it to one of the left trees that made the Geist's arms. It exploded and covered the arm in ice. The beast looked at it for a moment before smashing it on the ground to break the ice. What it didn't expect was the tree to break in half. He looked at what remained of it and let it go.

"Yeah! Take that, you ugly asshole!" Shouted Lena.

Her celebration was cut short when the Geist took one of the many columns around as a new arm and turned towards her. She slumped her shoulders.

"You have got to be kidding me." She said before the Grimm tried to squash her into a pulp.

Luckily, Rebecca used the Fire Dust crystals she carried and activated them with her Aura. In a second, the figure of two arms made of purple fire appeared and blocked the attack. One of the arms reeled back and punched the Grimm sending it stumbling back.

"Woah…" Said Lena. Suddenly a plan came to mind. _'Hey, Nickel. How hard can one of your soundwaves hit?'_

' _Pretty strong.'_ He answered while he and Schwarz approached. _'The more sound there is the more my gauntlets can absorb and the harder they can hit.'_

' _Hard enough to cut through rock?'_ She said with a clever smile. The other three people understood what she was planning, partly thanks to the neural link from Schwarz.

' _I have an idea on how to pin it down.'_ Said Schwarz.

' _Good.'_ Answered Lena, as the Grimm started to get back up. _'Rebecca, right?'_ The other girl nodded. _'Keep it distracted with your Semblance. Nickel, how long until your weapons charge?'_

' _Not long. With the sound from here and the one they are making,'_ he said, pointing at the other two fights, _' you just need to give me a couple of minutes.'_

Schwarz extended his hand to Lena with three cores in it. _'Help me put them around the Geist and I can use it to hold him down.'_

Lena nodded and grabbed the cores. _'You sure you can keep the fire up?'_ She asked to Rebecca.

The Grimm got up and slammed the front arms on the ground, as if challenging them. _'Don't worry.'_ Answered Nickel. _'She just need the first spark. From there, she can simply use the oxygen or Dust around to keep it up, right, Reb?'_

The girl in question smiled and stepped one foot forward, making the fire construct bigger, now looking like a creatures upper torso and reptilian like face apart from the two arms. The Grimm charged and Rebecca waited patiently for the beast to reach her.

They crashed and Rebecca got hold of it's arms, skidding back from the force of the attack. Suddenly, a small beat sounded in her head and strength pulsed through her and she looked at Nickel. He had taken a few steps back and remained passive for the gauntlets and boots to accumulate energy, but that didn't mean he couldn't use his Semblance to empower his friends.

Reb pushed back and managed to break the lock, landing a fiery punch on the Grimm. Meanwhile, Lena and Schwarz coordinated through the link to position the cores properly around the zone. The Geist noticed Lena and tried to smash her onto the ground again. This time Lena used her Semblance and Phased Stepped _through_ the arm, appearing on it, confusing the Geist while she smiled at it.

She took the chance and started running up the arm, shooting with her weapon at it's face. Geist tried to stop it by moving it's arm and launching her off with the other. Before it could hit her, she jumped and Phased again appearing right in the Geist's face. She jumped backwards, doing a backflip while she pulled out a knife and winked at the Grimm. She threw the knife, which impaled itself on the Grimm's face and exploded shortly after, making it screech in pain.

She continued with her task, and before the Grimm could recover, the fire construct tapped on it's shoulder. The Grimm, still half-blinded, turned around, only to be met with another punch for it's efforts. While it tumbled down, the calm voice of Schwarz sounded in everyone's mind. _'It's done. How about you, Lena?'_

' _Wait…'_ She dropped the last core on the ground and when it started to shine in red, she spoke again. _'Done! Are those fucking gauntlets done charging or what?'_

' _Hey! Don't insult the Remixers. They are my little babies and I love them very much.'_ He said in a joking manner.

While she and Schwarz reunited with the other two, she sighed. _'Please, not another Ruby. I already have enough with one weapon geek.'_

The Grimm started to rise up. Behind them, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren and Nora had already dealt with the Deathstalker, but their Auras were low. Plus, the bridge had been destroyed, so they could not reach the remaining four even if they wanted. As for them, Pyrrha and Nora nodded, ready to assist them if needed, even if the two other boys were too tired to do so.

Nickel approached the other three calmly. _'Don't worry. I was joking.'_ The Geist stood up, it's mask cracked but not defeated. _'By the way, what were those things that you landed?'_

' _You'll see.'_ Lena turned to Schwarz and he stopped her before she asked. _'I can't use the SIVA to consume it. It replaces it's parts and could easily escape my reach even if I overwhelm the materials it uses. The Geist are one of the few Grimm, if not the only, that is almost impossible to consume.'_

Reb and Nickel were utterly confused, but trusted them to know what they were doing. _'It's ready. Whenever you say.'_ His stance changed to one of hand-to-hand combat beside Rebecca, while Schwarz and Lena stood in front of them.

' _Rebecca.'_ Said Schwarz. _'Hold it for a second. I'll tell you when you can stop.'_ She nodded, and suddenly, the six cores on the ground started to expand a through the ground, consuming it. The Grimm, enraged to no end, paid it no mind and charged into a lock with the fire construct of Rebecca again. She held the Grimm for a few seconds until Schwarz spoke, this time with a dark smile in his face, as if he was going to enjoy what was about to happen. "Now."

In that same moment, several cables of red and black jumped from the ground and grabbed, the Grimm from every angle underneath it. She let go of the construct, giving a clear view of the Geist's face, witch Lena used to throw another Ice Dust knife and freeze the real creature in place. Immobilized, both it's real and construct body, the Geist tried to free itself desperately, but Schwarz ordered the SIVA to pull down, and so it did, pinning the creature to the ground, the face still facing them.

Before they could continue, a series of loud _'crakcs!'_ coming from Ruby's sniper-scythe made them turn around and witness how she decapitated the Nevermore using her weapon and Weiss's glyphs. It was quite impressive and left everyone in awe. Luckily, the SIVA held the Grimm without problem.

"Wow. I knew she was good, but this just proves she deserves being ahead two years." Said Lena.

Nickel smiled. "That was quite the performance." He turned to the other three. "But I think I can best it."

He signaled to Rebecca, who used the remaining energy of the Dust crystals to prepare for his attack. Nickel stepped away from the group, close to Jaune and the rest and started running back towards the Geist. He moved all the sound energy to his boots, which started to shine from the cables and the symbol imprinted on them. Rebecca launched the remaining fire towards the boots while he used his Aura to jump in the air.

"End of the song for you, pal."

He twirled several times in the air and landed with a falling kick right in front of the Geist's face. The soundwave cut through the middle of the Grimm as if it was butter, with the sound of an electric guitar cord. On the ground, the fire combined with his attack send a heat wave horizontally under the Geist, melting the rock, burning great part of the machines that hold it and turning to ash every patch of grass and bush that laid close by, almost reaching to the forest. Both waves ended right outside the ruins, leaving no plant alive and leaving a scorched land and a rock cut in half, with the rest of the materials the Grimm used falling apart, with nothing to hold them down.

The other students went wide eyed at the show of coordination and power, even though none of the groups had anything to envy from the others. The SIVA left on the ground started to fade, destroying the machines and leaving only black cables and plates. Everyone turned to Schwarz. "What? You really think I go around leaving cumulus of my invention for anyone to steal?" Some of the machines returned to his arm. "The nanomachines destroy themselves leaving only useless cables and plates. Resistant and malleable, but useless without the machines."

"Clever." Said Nickel, as if nothing had happened. He signaled to follow and reached the other four students on the same side of the broken bridge. "That still leaves us with a problem…" He looked up to where Ruby was standing.

"How the fuck do we get up there!?" He shouted pointing at Ruby, his voice reaching almost to the small girl up in the cliff, but enough to reach her sister.

"Language, dumbass!"

Before the confusion settled because of the reply, the sound of a bullhead reached their ears. It came into view shortly after, landing in the clearing between the bridge and the 'corpse' of the Geist. The doors opened and Cyane walked down from it.

"That. Was. Amazing!" She shouted. "Normally initiations tend to be boring, but man, was this year a rush!"

Pyrrha stepped forward, voicing the doubt in everyone's mind. "Does that mean we passed?"

"Pfft. With that fight you proven more than enough. Welcome to Beacon!" She said with a smile, cheers and happy faces among those in front of her. "The ones up there, did you hear me!? You're in! Congrats!" She did a thumbs up, which seemed to get the message across, with Yang then relaying it to her sister up above.

"Well, celebrations after the teams are chosen." She said, bringing everyone back to reality. "Now, get in the bullhead. We still have to pick the other ones up there."

* * *

He reached the room of the Maiden. He stood there for a couple of seconds. The girl was probably still in shock if she remembered what had happened. He opened the door and Amber turned in the bed to face him on the entrance. Seeing the giant figure with terrifying black armor turned her face into one of shock and tried to instinctively reach for collapsible staff, which she obviously didn't have.

"Who are you?" The fear in her voice was clear, but she didn't stutter nor did she try to back up.

Onyx laughed softly. "Yes, I do have that effect on people." He took a chair and seated. Luckily, the chairs were resistant, as his armor wasn't exactly what you would call 'light'. He raised a hand. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you. I'm Onyx Aureolis, the Black Knight, a huntsmen."

She appeared to calm down a bit at those words. "Where am I?"

"You are at Beacon. Safe." He said, making Amber release a breathe. "What is the last thing you remember before waking up?"

She closed her eyes for a moment. "I left the town early in the morning. Bistre, I believe it was called. I had left that drunken huntsmen behind." She rolled her eyes. "If he was seriously there to protect me, then he wouldn't have passed out drinking the same night he meet me."

Onyx sighed. "Why am I not surprised? In all honestly, he _was_ there to protect you, and he did bring you here after you were attacked.

"You're meaning to tell me that Ozpin sent a drunken old man to look after me and that my protector passed out the same night he meet with me in the town?" She said with complete disbelief.

Onyx nodded. "Yes. That is Qrow Branwen for you." The girl sighed. "Anyways, you left the town…"

"Right." She continued. "I walked on my horse for a couple of hours before I reached a part of the road where I found a child crying. She seemed to have fallen from the bike she had and-"

Onyx cut her off for a moment. "And it didn't seem weird to you that a girl was in the middle of a field without a town in several kilometers around?"

She was about to retort when she realized that he was right. "It… didn't feel weird at the moment. It was as if a part of me was saying that it was something… normal."

"A Semblance maybe?"

"I'm almost sure, looking at it now. The girl disappeared after I noticed movement behind her, even if there was no one there. That is when the attack started." She scowled and gripped the sheets of the bed.

"Can you describe the attackers?" He continued. "Did they say anything that could help us stop them?"

"I can describe them, but they didn't talk at all." She breathed heavily for a second.

Onyx laid his hand on hers. Even if he wore his armor , the gauntlets were warm to the touch and surprised the girl. "Take your time. You are safe here, I promise."

She smiled weakly and nodded. Amber closed her eyes and breathed out. "The first one I encountered had green hair and tanned skin, with red eyes. She wielded revolvers but she used hand-to-hand combat at close quarters. The other, the boy, had gray hair and eyes and he had metal legs with guns on them."

"Both his legs were completely machine?" This was interesting. Not many people had completely removed parts of their body to substitute them with machines, Schwarz being an exception, not the rule.

"No, only to the knees as far as I could see." She continued. "As for the last one, she was the one that took my powers."

"So you have noticed."

She chuckled faintly. "Hard not to when you have grown used to live with them. I can still use part of it, but nothing like the complete thing." She sighed. "As for the girl herself, she had black long hair and a red dress. She wielded two curved swords that could form a bow. Her Semblance seemed to allow her to create explosions alongside manipulating Dust extremely well." She stared at the wall for a moment. "And those yellow eyes. They were so full of lust for power. So full of evil."

He nodded. He now had a good description ad the assaulters. "Well, now we have to advantages over them. And I plan on using them."

"Two?" Asked Amber.

Onyx smiled under the helmet. "We know how they look and they don't know you are awake."

"Why wouldn't I be awake? I lost part of my powers but my Aura has healed the wounds." She reached to her face, touching the damage in it. "Even if the scars remain."

"You wouldn't have healed." He said, making the girl look at him. "There was a Grimm attached to your soul."

"What!? But how…?"

"Do you remember what she used to extract your powers?" She suddenly realized what he meant with a face of fear. "Don't worry. I took it out of you. The Grimm didn't allow you to heal as it was in your soul. I used my… powers to extract it and let your Aura heal your body."

She nodded and smiled. "Thank you. I don't know what would have happened if that thing you talk about remained in my soul."

"Probably nothing good." He rose from his seat. "That is enough for now. Rest and recover. If you need anything, press that button over the table and somebody will come to see you."

"I hate this." Onyx turned his head to the side. "Feeling defenseless. I know you are taking care of me, but I can't even feel my legs right now."

He smiled and reached to her shoulder. Using Ember, he lend some of his power to her Aura, boosting it. She looked with disbelief across her face as her aura shined bright with the extra energy, as the feeling and sensation on her legs returned. "How did you…?"

Onyx took his helmet off and showed his face to her for the first time. He smiled and winked to her. "Ozpin has his secrets, but that doesn't mean I don't have my own."

He equipped his helmet and walked out. "We are here to help save the world. We are tied by duty and we remain like that until we either die or we deal with the ones threating the innocents." He turned before closing the door. "That doesn't mean we can't feel helpless or tired from time to time. That's why we work together: when someone falls, the rest help them up, to keep moving forward."

* * *

 **A.N.: I hope you liked this chapter. I got a little blocked at some of the initiation parts but I think in the end I made them work.**

 **Next chapter will introduce the teams, classes and Onyx finally meeting with Platinum and Michael for a much needed talk.**

 **By the way, 'Prost' is what I've been told people say in Germany when they have a toast.**

 **Have a great day!**


	14. Chapter XI

**A.N.: hello there! So I messed up again and didn't put the team ceremony in the last chapter, and so, I couldn't post the interlude without spoilers, even if they were obvious and minimal, but hey, I rather not spoil if I can avoid it.**

 **This chapter is more preparation for the next but still has some important details and information.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter XI**

 **A day to relax…?**

The sounds of clapping echoed in the room, filled with students and teachers while the new team stepped down the stage. The next four people climbed the short set of stairs and stood in front of the Headmaster of Beacon, Ozpin. "Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark." The four boys stood proud and tall as the screen showed their images and names. "The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as team CRDL(Cardinal), led by… Cardin Winchester!" The hall applauded again, some more politely, others with more honesty.

The next four students were called to the stage. Lena was walking alongside Schwarz, he calmer than her, but none of the both extremely nervous. That couldn't be said from Rebecca, who was clearly not comfortable with being in such a crowd, much less being the center of it's attention. Nickel laid a hand on her shoulder and sent her a reassuring smile. She exhaled and smiled back, determined to take the last step before fully entering Beacon.

Schwarz had his mind on other places, though. Mainly, the conversation he had held with the girl that decapitated the Nevermore, Ruby Rose, on their flight back. When she had seen his arm while he ran diagnostics in the bullhead, she had approached him and asked about it. Surprisingly, the girl understood quite well the machines, even if he wasn't giving all the information about it. While she was mostly interested in what weapons it could transform, she did bring to him a problem that, even with all his intelligence and knowledge, he hadn't thought about.

If the battle turned out to be outside of the range he had, how would he fight?

Normally, that question would be answered by strategically placing cores and leading the enemy to them, like during the initiation. But if the enemy noticed it, or like the Nevermore, could simply fly away, what would he do? During his two years of training, he always gathered information about the terrain and enemies before acting, and while at first it had been hard to deal with the different species of Grimm and the varying terrain, the adaptability and sheer power and strength of the SIVA ended up being enough to deal with the problem.

But now? Now that he was on his way to face more and stronger enemies, how would he solve that problem? If it wasn't because of Lena and the others, it would have been _extremely_ difficult to deal with the Geist. Even his new partner added to the problem: if he needed to aid his team from a distance and didn't had any constructs or time to create them, how would he do it?

When Ruby asked him if he had a gun of sorts, or if he could create them, he though of it for a moment before answering. He didn't had a long range weapon, and while schematics of almost any type of gun where easy to find online, having to create the internal systems in his arm every time he needed to shoot would be wasting time and energy. Furthermore, having to create the bullets to shoot, and making them strong enough to do damage, even without Dust, would need a very inefficient amount of resources and time. While he could use the ground itself to make the bullets, it would leave him almost immobile and extremely vulnerable.

When he answered, it only took a few seconds for Ruby to come to a solution. It was simple but extremely clever. Given time, he would have come to the same conclusion, but the girl had quick and good thinking. She said that he could use an already-built weapon and enhance it with the SIVA. That would allow him to have a long ranged option without being nailed to the ground and would allow him to buy Dust-infused bullets instead of carrying the materials and said Dust to create them. She even offered herself to help, in exchange of showing him how the machines worked.

The idea sounded… interesting, to say the least. The SIVA could indeed enhance something like a weapon or other machines without consuming them. In fact, it would also connect said machine to the main core in his arm and eye, allowing him to see the state of the weapon and act accordingly. He told her to wait for a few days while he thought about it, but he had the feeling that it may not take very long to answer.

Lena nudged him in the shoulder, seeing him lost in thought, even with the sunglasses. Back in the present, he smiled as if saying that everything was fine and the four of them walked to stand in front of Ozpin. Schwarz was the tallest of the four, followed by Rebecca, then Lena and finally Nickel. "Rebecca Oxblood. Nickel Timberwolf. Lena Nyx. Schwarz Cadmium. The four of you retrieved the white queen pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as team LSRN(Liseran), led by… Lena Nyx!"

The people in the room cheered the new team. Silver stood close to one of the entrances with a proud smile on her face. Meanwhile, Lena looked around surprised, as if looking for the person with the name Ozpin just mentioned. Rebecca and Schwarz smiled at her while Nickel gave her a thumbs up. They exited the stage with an extremely happy Lena, tough the other three were just as happy as her. While Schwarz was used to being the leader of the research team he was in, he had no problems working under someone else, especially someone as competent as Lena. As for Reb and Nickel, none of them cared to be the leaders of a team, but they were happy that they ended up together and with people that could call their friends.

Onyx stood with Cyane by his side at one of the walls of the hall. "Seriously, you missed the best part. Even that Jaune guy did pretty good." She talked while the cheers and the applauses ended. "I think they'll all fit right in here."

Onyx nodded as the next four people approached the Headmaster. "To have you this excited it must've really been an interesting initiation." He said. " I'll take a look at the footage later."

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as team JNPR(Juniper)." Nora hugged Ren as Ozpin continued. "Led by… Jaune Arc!"

Onyx could only facepalm, a _'clang'_ coming from hitting his helmet with his metal gauntlet. Cyane laughed. "C'mon, metal-head. Have some hope on the boy." Onyx sent her a deadpanned stare that she understood, even with his helmet. "Okay, fine. I don't get it either, but give him a chance. He did coordinate his team during initiation."

Onyx sighed. "I will. But he still has a long way to go to even be on the level of the rest of the students."

During their talk, the last four students had positioned themselves on the stage. "And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao-Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as team RWBY. Led by… Ruby Rose!"

The shocked girl was hugged by her sister while Ozpin said something Onyx couldn't hear. "Well, she did show quite the skill and quick wit during her fight with the Nevermore." Said Cyane, to which Onyx hummed , only half-hearing what she was saying. Cyane noticed and turned to him. "Is something wrong?"

' _That girl is special.'_ Answered Ember. _'She has a lot of light in her soul, more than normal. And Ozpin knows. We must keep her under surveillance. Her power could help us against Salem in the future.'_

' _Got it.'_ Responded Cyane. Team RWBY left the stage as the people left the hall, with the new first year students talking between themselves. _'I'll keep you updated if something happens in my watch.'_

Onyx nodded and both of them approached the new teams. "Congratulations." He said, getting the attention of the different teams. "You are officially students of Beacon. Now you are closer to becoming real Huntsmen and Huntresses. And your responsibilities are now not only to yourselves, but to your team as well. I hope you understand that, especially the leaders of these teams." Everyone looked at him with determination and several nods confirmed his statement. "Good. Come, I'll guide you to your new rooms. Tonight you will be sent a map of the academy and tomorrow you will start classes at 9 o'clock. Don't be late."

They exited the hall with Cyane talking to Yang for a rematch when two figures approached the knight. "Ah, Onyx. I was on my way to meeting you when I crossed paths with Mr. Ochre and we decided to search for you together." Said Michael while the pair reached him.

The students turned to the two new arrivals and looked at them. Schwarz instantly recognized the man with several implants and a copper like color to his clothes. "Doctor Messingen?"

The man turned at the voice calling his name and smiled upon seeing who had called him. "Schwarz! It has definitely been too long since I last saw you." Both scientists shook each other's hand and smiled. "I had been trying to search for you since the accident! Where have you been, my friend?"

"That is a long story, doctor." He said smiling. "It was for precaution but I'm glad you are here. You are one of the few friends I could really trust, and that I still can."

"Of course, Schwarz. I'm glad to see you." He said. "I'm sure Copper and Gold will love to see you too."

"You brought them here?"

"Of course!" He said as if that was one of the stupidest questions he had ever heard. "Since you left to work on your own projects, they are the only good help I can find these days."

Meanwhile, Weiss had moved closer to Platinum, who was smiling at the girl. "Well done, Weiss. You have entered Beacon with flying colors and-"

"But I wasn't elected as leader!" She cut him off. "I performed exceptionally well. I think I should have been leader of team RWBY."

Platinum sighed. "Weiss, you can't win them all. But it's fine. Give your leader a chance, I'm sure Ozpin chose her for a reason." He reached to her shoulder and smiled when she looked up to him. "I am proud of you Weiss, and I'm sure that Winter would be too if she was here."

She smiled but Plat knew well that she wasn't completely convinced. Before the two pairs could continue talking, Onyx intervened. "While I'm sure you would like to talk more, I'm afraid some of the students want to reach their dorms and rest for the day." He turned to Cyane. "Lead them to their rooms, will you?"

She nodded and called the students to follow her, the two that had separated rejoining the group and walking away from the three men. "Who is she?" Asked Platinum, pointing at the group. Onyx turned to him, not knowing who he was referring to. "The spider Faunus. She doesn't seem to be in any team. Is she a second year?" Michael walked closer, curious as well.

"She is my partner." Answered Onyx. "Her parents died 5 years ago and I rescued her. I have been training her since, and she is capable of going toe to toe with some of the strongest huntsmen, despite her age." Both men looked at him with wide eyes. "I know is hard to believe, but I taught her to fight humans, Faunus and Grimm alike. The academies don't teach the first two apart from the tournaments so she has experience and training that many people lack." He looked at both of them. "I wouldn't trust anybody else with my own life." He stood there with a smile for a couple of seconds before he spoke again. "Follow me. We'll talk somewhere private."

* * *

Back in his office, the three men sat at the table. Both Platinum and Michael had a cup of coffee each while Onyx had taken off his helmet. "I didn't know you had told anybody else what you told me." Begun Platinum.

"I haven't." Responded Onyx. "But the person that may have to use his machine is related to what I told you."

Michael looked at both of them, confused. "That does mean I have to wait to tell you my decision?" Asked Plat.

"Okay, can somebody please tell me what's going on here!?" Asked the doctor, loosing his patience.

Onyx begun. "The patience that you wanted to know about is… special, to say the least." At that, both of them looked at Onyx. "Let me explain. Michael here has created a machine that allows moving Aura from one body to another."

Platinum looked at the doctor, impressed. "Wow, that is quite the achievement, doctor Messingen."

The man smiled proudly. "Thank you. It is one of my greatest projects, after all." He turned to Onyx. "But, what do you mean that my patience is special? I knew that it was a woman thanks to you, but I haven't been able to get any more details, not from Ironwood nor Ozpin."

"Tell me Michael, have you ever heard the tale of the Maidens?" Asked the knight.

"Of course. But I'm not much of a fan of fairy tales."

"The tale is more real than you imagine, doctor." Said Onyx, as he leaned closer.

"What do you mean?" Said Michael, as he became more curious.

"The patience of the machine is the Fall Maiden." Before the doctor could argue, he turned to Platinum as well. "I could show you to her, but I doubt Ozpin would be happy that I revealed the secrets of Remnant to two people he doesn't know." He continued. "You wanted to know your patience, doctor, and why there was so much secrecy surrounding her." He gestured with his arms open. "Well, here you have it."

Michael stayed a few seconds in silence. "How can I know you are telling the truth?"

"Where do you think the tales have their origins from?" Asked Onyx. "The Maidens have existed for centuries, but because of the greed of man, they faded into legend to be protected from the ones after their power."

"Then why is she in need of my machine?" Spoke Michael. "If what you are saying is correct, then my machine could transfer those powers alongside the girl's Aura. Why would Ozpin or James want to do that?"

"Because she was attacked." This time it was Platinum who spoke. "As far as I've been told, somebody ambushed her and managed to take half of the power of the Fall Maiden."

Michael looked at both of them, processing the information. "If what you say is true, then someone with such power could be very dangerous, especially since they were able to not only know about the existence of the Maidens, but also steal the powers."

Onyx nodded. "You catch on quickly, doctor."

He looked at the knight. "But I still don't have any evidence of what you are saying. You seem like someone that values the truth, but you must understand that this seems rather unbelievable."

Platinum took a sip of his coffee. "Have you told him about the Grimm?"

Onyx shook his head lightly. "Not yet."

The owl Faunus smiled. "Heh, then you haven't even heard the half of it, doctor."

Onyx sighed. "It will be better if I tell you what I told Platinum and then you make your own conclusions." He breathed for a moment, wondering where to start. "The Grimm are not as mindless as you think. Someone controls them, and she is just as determined as them to destroy humanity and the Faunus. She even has others helping her achieve her goals."

"Why?"

"Revenge, devotion, convenience… The list goes on. She is far more dangerous than anyone you have ever met and her lackeys are no joke either." He paused for a second. "That leads us back to the Maidens state of the Fall Maiden. She wasn't attacked only for her powers, but for what they can do." Michael raised an eyebrow, confused. "The powers are the key to opening a vault under Beacon that holds a Relic made by the God Brothers. And no, I'm not joking." He said when he saw the disbelief in the doctors face. "There are four Maidens, four Relics and four academies. If the one that stole those powers gets their hands on a Relic, I don't want to know what would happen."

"If what you are saying is true, then why not reveal it to the huntsmen?"

"Not everyone can be trusted, Michael. How many would want the powers for themselves? How many would betray us? And let's not talk about the widespread panic that would take hold of the civilians if they knew that their sworn enemies could have spies between them, or that someone is controlling the Grimm to make them more effective." Onyx sighed. "That is why I am telling you both this. I have… seen, so to say, that you will know what is at stake after knowing this. Not only that, but that you'll make the right decision in the end."

"And what would that decision be?" Asked the doctor.

"To help me end the one behind the Grimm." He said with a serious tone. "If she dies, the Grimm wont disappear overnight, but they would be weakened and leaderless."

Michael turned to Platinum after thinking for a while. "Do you believe him?"

The Faunus laughed softly. "When you live with the Schnee, you learn to discern the smallest kernel of truth from anyone. And he is most surely telling the truth."

The doctor pondered his options for a moment. "He does sound honest. And telling a like this has no point. I also believe you are telling the truth, but I would like to leave something clear: if you are lying, I'm going to be very, _very_ pissed off."

"He's not lying." The two guests turned to the door to look at the sound of the new voice. Cyane stood there for a moment, smiling, before entering a d closing the door.

"Hello, Cyane. How are the new students settling in?" Asked Onyx.

"Ugh! They are a tiring bunch, I tell you that."

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, lets see… " She hold out one hand and started counting with her fingers. "The girl two years ahead changes from excited to nervous in seconds, the Schnee seemed traumatized by something during most of the way, the Belladonna girl was as silent as a rock, Schwarz was sending weird looks and frowns to the blonde I fought, the Nickel guy almost got lost 5 fucking times," she changed hands, "his partner would have bumped into 3 walls if it wasn't because of him stopping her. I mean, if you are going to wear headphones, at least look in front of you and _not_ at the floor, maybe?" She sighed before continuing. "Valkyrie looked as if she had taken as much coffee as Ozpin does in a _week_ , all while her partner tried to calm her down and looked like he wasn't being paid enough for that shit. All while the Arc boy tried to flirt with the Schnee, with little to no success. And I honestly, don't know if he is just ignoring the looks and attempts from Nikos or if he is just _that_ dense."

She finished before taking another chair and sitting beside Onyx. She slumped in the seat. "I don't honestly know if I have to be worried about Peter and Bart, or if the students should be worried about their classes."

Onyx laughed and patted her in the head. "There, there."

"Don't laugh so much, metal-head. _You_ are the one that will have to handle _all_ of them most of the time." She said with a cruel smile.

Onyx sighed and brought his hands to his face. "Don't remind me. I don't like the amount of paperwork I will have to do if- _when_ something goes wrong." He recovered and looked back at both of the guests in his office. "So, do you believe what I said?"

Both of them remained silent. Platinum spoke first. "I've thought about joining forces against the one you speak about." He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. "I will help you. I want to keep the Schnee sisters safe, and I can't think of any better way than this."

Onyx nodded and waited for Michael. "I will, but under one condition." Onyx signaled him to continue. "No lies, no secrets. I can understand keeping this between the ones that are worthy of knowing, but if we deserve to know, we deserve to know _everything_."

Onyx nodded. "Fair enough." He then sighed, realizing the amount of information he had to explain. "Well, this is going to be a long talk."

He then started explaining in depth: Salem, her known followers, where the Grimm came from and Ozpin's inner circle. Up to that point, the conversation had been going smoothly. That is, until he had to explain who he was. Luckily, Ember could make things easier.

"Well, that was… enlightening." Said Platinum. "But how do you know all of this?"

"Yes, how?" Asked Michael, intrigued. "By the way you talk about Ozpin, I doubt he would have revealed it to you."

"He didn't." Answered Onyx, with Cyane messaging in her scroll beside him. "But if you have found this story hard to believe, you are going to think I've gone insane if I tell you mine."

"Well, we've reached this far." Said Plat. "I think we can handle whatever you throw at us."

"Very well." He rose from his seat and walked to the two men. "Hold still." He laid a hand on each of their shoulders and let Ember do his job.

After a few seconds, a voice spoke in their heads. _'Hello, gentlemen. My name is Ember. I am a being that lives within Onyx's soul. I brought him from the dead, from a time long lost to help me protect this world.'_

"What the- This isn't your Semblance, is it.?" Wondered Platinum as he heard the voices that spoke together as one.

Michael remained silent for a moment before speaking. "So we have Maidens, Relics, evil Grimm overlords and knights brought back from time and death by a formless being." He turned to Onyx. "Are we missing something?"

"Spider Faunus!" Shouted Cyane, raising a hand in the air but not lifting her eyes from the scroll.

' _Actually, my form when I started this age was the one of a fire. Thus my name.'_ Clarified Ember.

Platinum looked shocked for the countless time since he met Onyx. "So, if I'm hearing this correctly, you are not even from Remnant?"

' _You are partially correct, Mr. Ochre.'_ Answered Ember. _'The world is the same, but the time is completely different.'_

"From _when_ I come from, there were no Grimm, no Aura and no Dust. And definitely no guns or mechashift weapons. At the same time, I lived in a time of gods, dragons and even demons. It wasn't as bad as Remnant, but after our kingdoms declined, everything went into chaos until the literal end of the world."

Cyane looked up for a moment, unimpressed. "It's far more interesting with the details, but yeah, that is more or less the basics."

"How old are you, then?" Asked Michael.

Onyx chuckled. "In this Age, I've only been alive for 5 years, but in my original time, I'm afraid I can not recall, but I am older than any human or Faunus, I can assure you that." He continued. "And, as you may have noticed, I'm too tall for a human or even a Faunus. I am something different, a middle ground between human and what in my time we called gods."

Both men's eyes went wide. "I'm sorry but did you just say you are a demigod!?" Asked Plat.

"Not exactly. The gods of my time weren't immortal and all-knowing, simply very powerful. But there is one thing that you are right: I can not die until this Age ends." While he spoke, Cyane thought of taking pictures of their shocked faces, seeing as how they kept doing them over and over. Platinum kept opening and closing his mouth, trying to say something and failing miserably.

"Okay, okay." Platinum calmed himself. "That… explains a lot. Your height and strength, weapons, armor, etc. But with all that you have told us, you still need our help?"

"Indeed." Said Michael, recovering his composure. "I fail to see how we could help if you can simply can go on forward without worrying about death."

' _I think you misunderstood.'_ Said Ember, still able to talk to them, as Onyx kept his hands on their shoulders. _'He_ can _die, but I'd bring him back in a moments notice. And while we hold a lot of power, we are still facing a threat that outnumber us. Salem's power is not be trifled with, and not even I know the extent of it. The more we are, the easier it will be to stop her, and with the minimum casualties possible.'_

"I see." Said the doctor. "That is quite the task you have in your hands." The doctor smiled. "You should be glad we agreed to help you."

Onyx smiled. "Indeed I am, doctor." He lifted his hands from their shoulders. "Now, if you want, I can link your soul to Ember in order for you to hear it without needing me as an intermediary, but only if you want."

Cyane continued where he left off. "Also, everyone connected to Ember will be able to talk with the others that are linked too without needing to speak. Fair warning, though: it may be a little creepy at first."

Michael voiced his thoughts. "That does seem like the Semblance of Schwarz, but I suppose this one is permanent."

Onyx nodded. "Yes, but Ember doesn't enhance your senses, only allows you to communicate with the other linked people."

Platinum and Michael looked at each other before speaking. "Sure, why not." "I see no problem with it."

The knight nodded and reached to them once more. His Aura flared to life and Ember grasped their souls for a moment. The Auras of both men flared: Platinum in black and Michael in a coppery orange. After a moment, Ember went back to Onyx and their Auras returned to normal.

' _Did it work?'_ Asked Cyane.

Platinum blinked a few times while the doctor held his head for a moment. "Okay, this is… weird."

"Yes… let me try." Said Michael. He closed his eyes. _'Can you hear me?'_

' _We all can.'_ Answered Onyx. _'Try to speak only to me.'_

After both of them gave it a couple tries and got the hang of it (more or less), Onyx seated back on his chair. "So," he begun, "have I solved all of your doubts?"

"For now." Said Michael while Plat nodded. "The question is: what do we do now?"

"There are a few rooms for guests here at Beacon that are prepared for this exact situation." Said Onyx. "Is part of the agreement I have with Ozpin. As for future plans, we wait."

"That's it?" Asked Platinum. " We are going to wait for Salem to strike?"

"No, but during these 5 years, me and Ember have created a list of potential allies, like you, Platinum. Michael was something more improvised, but not less valuable for it." He continued after a small pause. "My plan is to recruit as many of those people as we can while we search for clues and traces that can lead us to Salem or her followers."

The owl Faunus hummed. "You said that you don't know the identity of any of them, but you know the faces and descriptions of at least two of them, right?"

Onyx nodded. "Yes. I fought them a year ago and I highly doubt they died, even if I did a good work on them. Plus, they were rescued by others: I recall someone calling one of their names of the bullhead and other one had to be piloting it. The voice sounded like the one of a woman and she called one of them 'Hazel'."

"That… is not much, I'm afraid." Said Michael. "Two of them are almost pure speculation and the name 'Hazel' might not even be his real one."

"That is why you want to gather more information, right?" Onyx nodded at the statement. "Hmm, I still have some contacts back in Atlas. One of the few advantages of going to the expensive parties that the Schnee attend. If you give me their descriptions, I may be able to find something."

"I will." He turned to the doctor. "What about you, Michael?"

"I will ask some friends of mine in the scientific community." He answered. "Most of us respect each other and tend to help out in some projects, seeing as how one of them might save their lives in the future. But there is always some scum running around. If what you say is true, I wouldn't discard the idea of some of them joining Salem for their own benefits."

"Perfect. I will talk to Ozpin and explain your choice and explain our plan. Meanwhile, I'll help on the recovery of the Maiden and see if I can find her attackers." He turned to the spider girl. "You have any plans of your own?"

She shrugged. "I'll stick around here and train with you for now." She looked back to her scroll. "I'm still trying to get some answers from Neo, but she is being a tight lipped bitch."

"Ah, the irony." Said Onyx with a smile. "You'll get her to talk eventually. If the trouble becomes more worrisome, I may have to intervene, you know that."

"I know."

"A friend of hers that works in the criminal world of Vale." He explained to the two men. "Cyane thinks something is wrong and wants to help her, but it may be related to the recent Dust robberies. If it escalates more, I won't stand idle, even if it's her friend."

"Your city, your approach." Said Platinum. "For now, I'll be going to the hotel I was going to stay. I will grab my things and have a talk with Vale's SDC branch. I don't think it'll take much to convince them for me to stay here longer."

Michael rose from his seat at the same time, his implants making small sounds. "I will go to my room and begin my research."

When they both exited the room, a message reached his scroll and Cyane's. Ozpin wanted to see them in his office regarding problems with the Forever Fall trip that was planned for students later on, after the first month of classes. The two looked at each other in confusion before leaving to talk to the Headmaster.

* * *

The clock in his office sounded with every second, high enough to be heard but not to interrupt any conversation. "Are you sure they can be trusted?"

"If I wasn't I wouldn't have told them." Answered Onyx.

Ozpin stayed silent for s few moments. Glynda was nowhere to be seen, but she most surely doing her job as a teacher and part of Ozpin's as a Headmaster. "Very well. We agreed to this five years ago and your judgement seems clear. I have no reason to complain."

"They will help us, Ozpin." Said Onyx. "Their skill in combat and their personal abilities will be of great use."

"Plus, the more, the merrier, right?" Said Cyane jokingly.

"As long as you think we can trust them, I have no problem with this." He took a sip from his cup. "But now, we have more pressing matters. I have called you here because something is happening at Forever Fall forest."

With that, he tapped a few times on the pad of his desk and a screen appeared for all to see. In it, a short video showed the forest, but instead of the red leaves, this part was completely shrouded in darkness. The trees, ground, leaves and plants were are black, but appeared to still be alive. No animals or Grimm appeared in the footage and even the wind seemed to have disappeared.

"This recording was taken during the initiation today." Begun Ozpin. "I sent a bullhead to look at the state of the forest and the news weren't good: it's expanding. For now, it remains away from civilization, but whatever it is, it is slowly moving towards here. Towards Vale."

While Cyane listened intently, Onyx seemed lost in thought. Ember noticed. _'You seem troubled. Is something wrong?'_

Onyx kept looking at the recording for a few seconds before answering. _'I remember getting reports from something similar occurring in an old township back when I served Gwyn. I recall that he sent Knight Artorias to deal with the problem, but I didn't heard from that place or the great knight ever again. The demons came shortly after and my memories are still vague.'_

' _Hmm…'_ Ember thought for a moment. _'I remember a town disappearing from my sight and fading into darkness. Oolacile, I think it was called. I don't know what happened afterwards.'_

"Ejem." Ozpin brought the knight back to reality. "Are you alright? You seemed lost in thought." Onyx nodded. "Do you know what this is?"

"Darkness. But I don't know more." He answered. "It happened back in my age once and as far as I know it remained in the location that occurred after sending one of our greatest knights."

Cyane looked between both of them, thinking. "You don't think it may be, y'know, _her_?"

That made both men think for a moment. "I don't think so." Answered Onyx. "But we can't know with certainty, and if it is Salem, we can't let her plans prosper."

Ozpin nodded. "I agree. I still need you to take care of the students tomorrow, so I think this can wait for a day."

Onyx nodded while Cyane intervened. "And if anything happens, we are one short bullhead ride away, so we can answer quickly if we need to."

"Then is settled." Said Ozpin. "Whether this is the work of Salem or not, we must tread carefully. We don't know what we are dealing with here."

* * *

The next day, classes begun with professor Port and his stories of youth. Team LSRN had arrived in time thanks to Lena waking everyone on time. Funnily enough, the harder to wake up was Schwarz, who groaned and complained. He didn't woke up until everyone was already up and showered. Luckily, even with that, they all were able to shower, drees and have breakfast with calm. They were able to reach class in time, even if they weren't the first to reach it.

At 8:59, teams RWBY and JNPR stumbled into the classroom, breathing heavily and some of them even falling as they entered the room. A few moments after they calmed down and seated, professor Port entered the classroom alongside Cyane, both of them laughing and talking. She sat towards the back of the classroom and relaxed while Peter started the class.

While Peter had been and was a great huntsman, his stories were… not the best motivator for students. From the back of the class, she could keep watch of all the students and keep them out of trouble. That being said, she wasn't about to wake up the bored students or force them to pay attention in class. She understood how they felt. She _really_ did.

It was all going well at first. Lena toyed with one of her knives under the table that she had managed to sneak in with her Beacon uniform. Schwarz still had his cape around him even with the uniform. He wasn't taking notes but he was recording the class with his eye. Meanwhile, Nickel and Rebecca shared his smaller earphones with a one speaker each. Team JNPR were in similar states: Jaune almost falling asleep with Pyrrha trying to be interested in the class. Nora had fallen asleep a long time ago and Ren had stopped trying to keep her awake.

The rest seemed to be feeling equally bored. While she kept an eye on the ex-White Fang member, she noticed Weiss getting more and more angry at her partner. "So, who among you believes to be the embodiment of these traits?" Asked Peter to the class.

"I do, sir!" Jumped Weiss. To Cyane, it looked like she had a spring on her the moment Port asked his question.

"Well, then, let's find out!" He pointed to the cage that had suddenly appeared on stage. Cyane still wondered how he and the other teachers of Beacon did things like this. When she asked , they only smiled and changed subject. That and the coffee they had in Beacon were it's more protected secrets. "Step forward, and face your opponent!"

The fight went… badly. She had seen the Schnee during initiation and she knew that she was capable of more. If she had spent more time concentrating in the fight and less on shouting at Ruby, she would have finished the fight sooner and more effectively. Nonetheless, she turned the Borbatusk upside down and stabbed right through it. "Bravo! Bra-vo! It appears we are _indeed_ in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training!"

The bell rang and Port dismissed the students, with Weiss stomping away in anger. Cyane raised an eyebrow and followed her and Ruby when they left, close enough to hear the last part of their conversation without being noticed. "Not a team lead by _you_. I've studied _and_ trained. And quite frankly, I deserve better." She walked away, none of the two noticing Cyane or Onyx, who was talking with another student close by when he heard the conversation. "Ozpin made a mistake."

Ruby looked to be completely broken when Onyx approached. "I don't think she deserves better with that attitude towards others."

Ruby turned around, her face showing her doubt and sadness. "Is she right? Did Ozpin made a mistake?"

Onyx shook his head. "It is too soon to answer that question, Ruby."

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused

Onyx sighed. "Ruby, it has been less than an entire day since you and your team officially entered Beacon." He looked away for a moment. "Ozpin is… someone strange. And while I don't agree with everything he does, he has been the Headmaster of Beacon for years and has kept the academy in an incredibly good state. Not only that, but the best hunters of Remnant are trained inside these walls. And while some of his decisions turn out to be mistaken, I think you have shown more than enough reasons to be elected as a leader, at least in his eyes."

He smiled at her under the helmet. "I have also been in the position of leadership myself , Ruby. You must realize that the people that you lead follow you for a reason. If you do not strive to be better, to be at your best, then why would they follow you? A leader is someone that not only inspires those beneath them, but also shows that they can rely on them when the time comes. And it is not something you only do in battle, but also outside it."

Ruby nodded, more determined now. "Think about how you will approach your situation with care. Because if you really do your best, not only for you but for your team also, then you will be on the right road." He walked past her. "And don't think that because somebody was better prepared for you they will do a better job. _Everyone_ has something they can improve, one way or another." Before he turned the corner, he looked to Ruby. "You said you wanted me to help you train, back in Vale. I will help you, but it will have to wait. I will be busy this next few days." To that, Ruby smiled.

Cyane joined him as they walked away from Ruby, now calmer and in a better mood. "That was very wise from your part." Said Cyane.

"It's the truth." Said Onyx as Cyane climbed to his left shoulder, as he had his greatsword resting on his right one. "She still has a long way to go, but she has a lot of potential, apart from her powers."

"She is determined, I can tell that much." Said Cyane. "Oh! I can't wait for combat training class in a couple of days. I want to see how good some of them are." The smile on her face showed her excitement.

Onyx laughed lightly. "You just want to beat someone down, don't you?"

"Who, me? Naaaahh, you must be imagining things." She said, even as a small glint of evilness, not unlike the one a child would have before pulling a prank, appeared on her eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile, the remaining members of team RWBY were talking with Lena and company as they waited for the rest of their team. Yang, Nickel and Lena were talking about the music the boy made, while Blake and Reb chatted about some of the books they liked, seeing as how they had similar tastes in them. During all of this, Schwarz remained quiet and looking at Yang as if trying to figure out something.

Yang sighed. "Okay, that's enough." Nickel and Lena looked at her with confusion as she turned to the scientist. "You've been looking at me since we finished initiation. Now, I don't mind someone looking, but you do it as if you had a problem with me."

"No, I don't-" He sighed. "I have no problem with you. You just simply look a lot like someone I'm… looking for." His frown made clear that whoever it was, it was important.

"Who?" Asked Yang, with her interest peaked.

The boy looked away. "No one. Forget about it." His tone was angered, but not directed at her. He turned around and walked to the next class.

Blake and Rebecca looked at each other, confused. Yang looked at Nickel and Lena as if asking what was that about. Lena shook her head and Nickel shrugged, none of them knowing what Schwarz was on about.

* * *

The rest of the day passed quickly for the knight and the spider. No more incidents happened after Onyx talked with Ruby, apart from a couple of lost students here and there. As the morning of the next day came along, Cyane was woken up early by Onyx, much to the girl's dismay, and readied themselves for the investigation trip to the Forever Fall forest. They walked to the landing pads and the pilot of the it bullhead waved at them from a distance when she saw them, entering and starting the transport afterwards.

When they boarded the bullhead, Onyx received a call from Ozpin on his scroll. He answered quickly. "Hello, Ozpin. We are on our way to the forest."

" _Good."_ Came the Headmaster's voice from the device as it showed his image. _"We managed to retrieve some of the footage from other cameras before they were swallowed by the darkness. It is interesting, take a look."_

Cyane leaned closer and looked at the scroll. The screen showed the feed of one of the cameras. In it, some Grimm were closing to the darkness with curiosity and caution. When one of the youngest Beowolves touched it, the mass stuck to the creature and pulled it in, as it flailed aimlessly and in vain. In the end, the monster was consumed by the mass of darkness as it's companions backed away slowly.

"So, this means that it isn't the work of Salem, right?" Spoke Cyane.

" _I think we can discard that option."_ Agreed Ozpin. _"In any case, we must discover what we are dealing with and answer accordingly."_

Onyx nodded and closed his scroll. After a few more minutes, the pilot let the bullhead hover and opened the doors, giving them the green light to jump. Both of them jumped, Onyx landing with a hand on the ground, creating small cracks were he landed. Cynae used her spider legs to grab a branch and flip in the air, landing with grace and far more silently than her friend.

They nodded to each other and Onyx unsheathed his sword. Both walked quickly towards the location where the darkness was expanding. After a few seconds of walking, they found what they were searching for. The mass of darkness extended over trees, plants and ground on a thin layer. Some parts pulsated almost imperceptibly with purple and blue veins.

' _The dark in here blocks my sight. It's almost oppressing.'_ Mentioned Ember to both of them. _'Be careful. I won't be able to alert you if something happens close by.'_

"Can you sense anything about the darkness itself?" Asked Cyane as Onyx approached the mass and kneeled close to it.

' _It is not corrupted and it doesn't feel the same as when an Age changes into darkness.'_ Answered Ember. _'It's something different but it is definitely not Salem.'_

Onyx reached to the darkness with two of his armored fingers. The darkness didn't react as it did with the Grimm, instead letting the knight take a part of it and examine it with his hand. To Onyx, it didn't feel oppressing or horrifying as he expected, but instead cold and… somewhat welcoming, to his surprise.

"You really think you should be doing that?" Asked Cyane with disgust as she saw the gooey substance slip completely from Onyx's fingers.

Onyx rose from his position, but before he could answer, he turned his head to his left and readied his sword. While he didn't had the hearing a dog or cat Faunus had, and Ember couldn't warn him now, he did had very good hearing and overall awareness. "We have company."

Cyane looked were he had turned and grasped the hilt of her weapon without pulling it out. A few seconds passed in tense waiting and slowly, Cyane could start hearing sets of steps and something rustling in the trees in front of her. From the high bushes, two Alpha Beowolves appeared slowly, growling at Onyx and Cyane as they approached, enough to be a few steps away but safe from direct combat.

The beasts stayed there for a few seconds, growling and snarling, but not stepping closer. From behind them, a new figure appeared. It's appearance resembled faintly that of a jellyfish: an red orb formed the main part of the body, floating over the ground effortlessly with several bone-like plates surrounding it. From under it, various tentacles extended to almost touch the ground, bending upwards in order not to do so. These ended in white, sharp barbs.

The tree above the three creatures shook slightly as a new Grimm came to scene. When both of the hunters laid their eyes on it, Cyane looked perturbed and a little bit spooked, while Onyx glared at the black and white creature from under the helmet. It stood crouched with it's two arms between it's legs, the four extremities grabbing the branch it was in. It stood up and looked at the two while one of his arms extended to the trunk of the tree and rested it's palm on it.

His feet had 3 claws facing forward and one back, all of them extremely sharp. It's legs had 3 joints, one more apart from the knees and the heel, that stood between them, making the leg bent back and forward before reaching it's feet. It had human-like trunk, bone plates with lines over the chest and abdomen, that moved with it's breathing. It's arms were also similar to those of a human, with the bone protrusions looking like armor over them. The hands were somewhat big in relation with the arms, with the five fingers in each ending in long claws. A tail swirled around with a sharp, spear tip end and small spikes coming from it, reaching through it's back up to the neck.

The most terrifying part however, was it's face. Two giant horns pointed upwards from each side of it's upper head, beginning pointing backwards and up before turning frontwards in a crescent shape. The Grimm mask had four holes which showed it's four eyes underneath. The mouth was stuck in a perpetual, horrifying smile which showed all the sharp, serrated teeth, similar to those of a shark. When it breathed, it's mouth opened slightly, showing the lower jaw to be split in two in the middle. Strangely, all the decorations in it's mask and bone plates were purple instead of red and it didn't wore the eye that marked all the Creatures of Grimm as Salem's.

Unlike the other two Grimm escorting the jellyfish creature, this one seemed mostly curious about the two hunters, while it's brethren wanted nothing more than to kill those in front of them. The only thing holding them back was the Seer. The creature advance closer and a voice sounded from it. "I should have known Ozpin would send his pawns to this place."

Onyx didn't even flinch, and while Cyane was surprised, being the first time seeing that Grimm, she didn't show any type of fear. "And I am surprised you decided to come here all the way yourself 'personally',"

" **Salem**."

* * *

 **A.N.: so, I want to leave something clear. The story will stay in a very similar path to cannon regarding RWBY and JNPR, but only for the first volume. That doesn't mean I won't change events, but some of the things that happen during volume 1 are necessary for the rest lf the volumes to have a base.**

 **That aside, I hope you like this chapter that WASN'T LATE. Woooo, go me! I think that I will have more time to write soon, so I'm almost sure that I will be able to post a chapter per week.**

 **On a different note, I recently had an idea for another crossover involving RWBY and another universe. Don't worry, I won't start writing anything else soon. Maybe when I finish volume 1, but for now is only an idea.**

 **Have a great day!**


	15. Interlude II

**AN..: hello there! This time we have one of the first year teams. Before you read this I want to make a couple of things clear.**

 **First, the missions taken under a prep-school like Signal are uncounted because I honestly don't know when kids start killing Grimm in canon or if the teachers accompany them to deal with easy Grimm. When I write characters outside of those schools, I take into account that life outside the Kingdoms is hard, to say the least. With that I can think more of less of a number of missions and how long they take, which is something I can't do with people that come from Signal because we don't even know at what age you can enter a prep-school.**

 **Second, the Grimm kills and ranks are** _ **before**_ **initiation and entering Beacon. I'm assuming that there is some kind of entrance exam (as Ozpin tells Blake in the series) and that is where they give the rank and look into their files and past actions, but then we have Jaune, who** _ **somehow**_ **manages to enter the academy** _ **without**_ **his Aura unlocked. I'm taking him as the exception and guessing that his transcripts were** _ **so good**_ **that he didn't need the entrance exam.**

 **Sorry for the long explanation. We are still missing a lot of info from the series and while I will try to fill in some gaps, I can only make guesses and assumptions. That's why I don't expand more on the worldbuilding for now. If I see it's needed, then I will try to fill in the gaps as close to cannon and logically as possible.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Interlude II**

 **Character sheet II**

 _Hello and welcome to the Huntsman Association Network and Development System!_

 _Please insert your username and password to begin._

 _Username:_ FireKnight34

 _Password:_ *******

 _Verifying… user accepted!_

 _Welcome back, Mr. Aureolis. What services would you like to access from HANDS?_

…

 _Verifying rank and permits…_

 _Access granted._

 _Downloading Huntsman Service Card…_

…

 _Download complete! Accessing now._

 **Name:** Schwarz Cadmium.

 **Species:** Human.

 **Sex:** Male.

 **Age:** 19.

 **Title/s:** Nanomachine Plague.

 **Active time:** 2 years of active time.

 **Training:** 2 years, no prep-school, actually training at Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses.

 **Current contract/mission:** student at Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses.

 **Missions taken:** 9 missions taken, 8 missions successful, 1 failed (target disappearance), 0 teammates/fellow huntsmen lost during missions.

 **Team:** LSRN (Liseran). Members: Lena Nyx, Schwarz Cadmium, Rebecca Oxblood, Nickel Timberwolf. Leader: Lena Nyx. Partner: Lena Nyx.

 **Rank:** B-2, evaluation at entering Beacon.

 **Weapon/s:** SIVA (unknown specifications).

 **Aura levels:** high.

 **Semblance:** his Semblance allows the user to connect minds psychically, allowing communication without words. It also increments the mental capabilities of those connected, such as reflexes and coordination. It can be also used to disrupt the enemy by confusing or making coordination much harder. It is unknown if this is it's full extent. Nickname: Mastermind.

 **Achievements:** two Elder Grimm confirmed kills. Several A-class Grimm eliminated. 1 rogue huntsmen eliminated.

 _Loading second Service Card…_

 _Archive Loaded._

 **Name:** Lena Nyx.

 **Species:** Human.

 **Sex:** Female.

 **Age:** 17.

 **Title/s:** Wolf of the Knives.

 **Active time:** none. Actually in huntsmen academy.

 **Training:** attended Signal prep-school. Actually attending Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses.

 **Current contract/mission:** student at Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses.

 **Missions taken:** several missions completed under the tutelage of Signal Academy professors, graded extremely positive in most of them.

 **Team:** LSRN (Liseran). Members: Lena Nyx, Schwarz Cadmium, Rebecca Oxblood, Nickel Timberwolf. Leader: Lena Nyx. Partner: Schwarz Cadmium.

 **Rank:** B-5, evaluated at entering Beacon.

 **Weapon/s:** several, multipurpose knives. One named the Whistler. Highly customized and modified SMG(Slytha).

 **Aura levels:** medium-low.

 **Semblance:** her power allows her to change dimensions for brief periods of time. This other dimension could be called a 'mirror dimension'. She can move and act inside it, but the real world is unaffected by her actions inside of it. The advantage relies in moving inside of it without being seen and reappearing in an advantageous position, or even inside the enemy in an extremely lethal way. Nickname: Phase Step.

 **Achievements:** three Elder Grimm killed alongside teachers and classmates.

 _Loading next Service Card…_

 _Archive loaded._

 **Name:** Rebecca Oxblood.

 **Species:** Faunus, goat traits.

 **Sex:** Female.

 **Age:** 17.

 **Title/s:** Two-faced Fire, Violet Fire.

 **Active time:** 1 year.

 **Training:** no prep-school, several private instructors. Actually attending Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses.

 **Current contract/mission:** student at Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses.

 **Missions taken:** 4 missions taken, 4 missions successful, 0 teammates/fellow huntsmen lost during missions.

 **Team:** LSRN (Liseran). Members: Lena Nyx, Schwarz Cadmium, Rebecca Oxblood, Nickel Timberwolf. Leader: Lena Nyx. Partner: Nickel Timberwolf.

 **Rank:** B-3, evaluation at entering Beacon.

 **Weapon/s:** two wrist blades with attached automatic cannons, able to infuse different types of Dust in blades, variable Dust bullet types, small and compact Fire Dust rockets(Verba Imperatrix).

 **Aura levels:** medium-high.

 **Semblance:** she can control fire at will but not produce it from her Semblance. She is even able to change the properties of the fire, making it physical or even cold to the touch. The fire turns purple when under her control. When her second personality, Ox, takes control, her Semblance sees a boost in power and aggressiveness but her control dwindles under this state and she can harm allies if not careful. Nickname: Ignis Fatuus.

 **Achievements:** one Goliath killed during an assault to a town, two Elder Grimm killed. 6 A-class Grimm killed.

 _Loading next Service Card…_

 _Archive loaded…_

 **Name:** Nickel Timberwolf.

 **Species:** Faunus, fox traits(lost).

 **Sex:** Male.

 **Age:** 17.

 **Title/s:** The Fox, The DJ Huntsman.

 **Active time:** 1 year.

 **Training:** no prep-school, several private instructors. Actually attending Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses.

 **Current contract/mission:** student at Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses.

 **Missions taken:** 4 missions taken, 4 missions successful, 0 teammates/fellow huntsmen lost during missions.

 **Team:** LSRN (Liseran). Members: Lena Nyx, Schwarz Cadmium, Rebecca Oxblood, Nickel Timberwolf. Leader: Lena Nyx. Partner: Rebecca Oxblood.

 **Rank:** B-7, evaluation at entering Beacon.

 **Weapon/s:** gauntlets and boots with materials resistant to blades and attacks. Capable of infusing Dust. The machines in his weapons allow him to send sound waves as an attack or use them as a defense(Remixers).

 **Aura levels:** medium.

 **Semblance:** his Semblance allows Mr. Timberwolf to use the music he hears, in addition to Dust, to create different effects upon himself and his allies, even his enemies. Depending on the music, the type of Dust and the objective of his ability, the effects will vary in countless ways. His weapons amplify this effect, granting him more firepower and greater effects. Nickname : Beat of the Dust.

 **Achievements:** one Goliath killed during an assault of a town, two Elder Grimm killed. 6 A-class Grimm killed.

* * *

 **A.N.: nothing to see here today.**

 **Have a great day!**


	16. Chapter XII

**A.N.: hello there! New week, new chapter. I had a little bit of a block during the writing of this one, more or less at half of it. I don't know why, but what I had in mind didn't fit what I was trying to tell. After that, I managed to recover and I liked the ending far more than I expected when I started writing.**

 **On a different note, I had another idea for a crossover again. My brain likes to give me new ideas without finishing the ones I already have, and I don't want to start a new story without reaching the end of V1 with this one.**

 **That's all for now. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter XII**

 **Unexpected visitor**

The air around them was filled with tension. Cyane swore that if Onyx slashed with his sword, he would cut something, whether Grimm or the air itself would depend on how close the creatures moved. The Seer remained stationary, floating over the ground, with the two Alphas snarling at Onyx and Cyane, and the last Grimm simply watching the scene, its slow breaths being the only thing that broke the silence, alongside the two Beowolves.

"I know who you are, Black Knight." Spoke Salem through the Seer. "You almost killed two of my lieutenants. It was really hard to find a replacement for Hazel's arm, and poor Tyrian wouldn't stop babbling and looking at each shadow for a while."

"So they survived." He said in a calm voice. "It's true what they say about vermin: they are hard to kill. I guess next time I'll have to aim my swings at their necks instead."

Salem hummed, either not caring or not giving value to his threat. "You on the other hand," she said, the Seer turning slightly towards Cyane, "are far more interesting. Tell me, what is a child doing here, in the middle of this war of secrets? Don't you think you should let the more experienced handle this? There are many horrors out there that may break you."

Cyane stood, silently for a few seconds, looking down, her hair covering her eyes. Onyx looked at her, worried for a moment. In a second, she looked back up, with an eyebrow raised and examining the Grimm close to her, before turning to Onyx and speaking her mind, pointing with her thumb at the Seer.

"What's up with Grimm bitch over here?"

There was a moment of silence before Onyx and Ember started laughing. "Like, seriously!" Continued Cyane. "What right does she have to say that I should let others handle this? And why does everyone keep calling me 'child' or 'small one'!? I'm taller than many of the students back at 'The cane-and-mug-man's school for angsty teens'."

Onyx and Ember kept laughing lightly. "Oh my sun, Cyane…" Said Onyx, managing to gain some composure. "Tell you what, if you start calling Ozpin that, I'll let you try with me a few things I've been at work with recently, and if they work, I'll teach them to you."

"Deal. Plus," she said, turning back to the Grimm, "you already took my parents from me, and that didn't break me." Her tone was cold, and it was one of the very few times Onyx had seen her this angry. No jokes, no mischievousness, just pure hate and anger. "In fact, _we_ are going to break _you_ "

"Such a bad behavior should be punished, especially if it comes from a child." Answered Salem. "You are lucky I'm not here for that. Leave the forest now and I shall let you live."

Onyx and Cyane looked at each other before Onyx spoke. "If you agree to call Salem that on every meeting we have, I'll try to get Glynda to set you on more fights during training class. Yes, even 4v1, I know you like those."

"Yes! You've got it, metal-head." Agreed Cyane, already thinking of what team she wanted to fight first.

"And as for you," he said, turning his head back to the Seer, "you have made three mistakes, Salem. First, we are not Ozpin's soldiers, we are far more powerful than them. Second, you have threatened my partner and thought you could walk away from it unscathed. And third,"

" **You didn't brought enough Grimm to deal with us.** "

At those words, he jumped straight towards the closest Beowolf and swung down on him. The Grimm reacted fast, though, and managed to sidestep away. The other Alpha was about to call for his pack when a shield impacted right on its face, making the Beowolf stumble backwards. In front of it, Cyane pointed the cannons of her shield to its face with a smile. "Nice try, but we don't need more company." She said right before the cannons fired and the Fire Dust exploded on the face of the Grimm. Meanwhile, the other Alpha lunged for Onyx, but the knight punched it with his shield to the side before its claws reached him. Before he could keep attacking, the Seer wrapped its tentacles around his left arm while the longest of them tried to stab him in the face, but instead of pain or fear, the only thing that the monster managed to get from Onyx was annoyance.

He pulled the Grimm towards him and, before it reached his arm, he raised his greatsword and impaled the Seer on the ground, the weapon going straight through the orb. Cyane had managed to cut one of the arms of her Grimm in the meantime and now was 'playing with her food', taunting the one armed Beowolf and dodging each strike. She grew tired after a while, and in the next swing, she transformed her weapon into Harmony and sliced upwards, bisecting the Grimm's head from the body.

The last Beowolf launched towards Onyx, but he caught it by the head, closing its mouth and dragging it through the ground. He reached the mantle of darkness and with a short look to the Grimm in his hand, he pushed the head down onto it. Just as it did with other Grimm, the darkness started consuming the monster, leaving his hand intact. The mantle ate the entire Beowolf in seconds, while it screamed in agony and pain. "Well, for my first encounter with her, it was rather underwhelming."

"We aren't done yet." Said Onyx, reaching to his sword and pointing it to the creature still in the tree, still smiling. "Are you going to fight or not?"

The Grimm dropped from the tree and walked slowly towards Onyx, its back crooked as if it was malformed. The Grimm stopped close to Onyx and straightened up, reaching as high as him, almost face to face at that distance. Onyx and Cyane were ready for anything. "Well, are you?"

What they didn't expect was for the Grimm to bring a finger to its chin and look up as if thinking. After a moment, the creature, much to the surprise of both of them, _shrugged_ and walked away. The two hunters looked at each other, and back to the creature, which jumped to a tree and disappeared in the branches and leaves. "Okay…?" Said Cyane, extending the word. "That… did that _Grimm_ just… _shrugged_ and walked away?"

"I think it did." Said Onyx, just as confused as its partner. He shook his head and came back to the present. "In any case, we have more important matters to attend to. If that… thing doesn't bother us, then it's one less problem."

Cyane stood there for a moment before sheathing his weapon. "Sure." She reached her partner close to the mass of darkness.

"By the way," said the knight, catching her attention, "don't grow overconfident. That can be your downfall."

Cyane nodded. "I know, I know. I was just having a little bit of fun, you know I don't usually do that." Onyx turned his head towards her. "Okay, fine. I'll try not to tone it down in the future." She looked back at the extension of darkness. "Any of you have any idea on how to do this?" She asked.

Onyx hummed and took a step forwards. _'Wait, Onyx!'_ Ember tried to stop him, fearing something would happen, but nothing occurred. He was stepping on the mantle of darkness over the ground and stood there for a couple of seconds. When nothing happened, he kept walking a few meters.

"I guess that solves the problem of moving through it." Said Onyx, while he beckoned Cyane. She took a few cautious steps into the darkness, and like Onyx, she wasn't attacked. She walked close to the knight. "I was curious when it didn't do anything to me, even when I was holding a Grimm, so I just walked to it."

' _I'm just glad we didn't end up like them.'_ Said Ember in both of their heads. _'I still can't feel anything outside of the darkness, but it seems to grow stronger close to the mountains, at the edge of the forest.'_

"There are a lot of caves in that part of the mountain range." Noted Cyane. "Maybe it comes from one of them?"

Onyx hummed. "Maybe, but we won't know if we don't take a look. Let's go." Cyane nodded and both of them walked towards the direction Ember had told them.

* * *

They kept walking for a few minutes and both of them realized a few things. They had encountered no animals or Grimm so far, though the latter came as no surprise to the two of them. The wind also seemed to have disappeared completely, not a single gust during all of their walk. The trees looked like black statues, reminding them of an ominous presence, as if they were always being watched. The most noticeable, and annoying, of these things were the whispers.

They had started when both of them walked closer to their destination. At first, they were faint and unintelligible, but further on, more and more voices reached their ears, becoming louder with every step. Luckily, Ember managed to keep those whispers low and to the back of their minds. Any other being would have gone mad by now.

After half-an-hour, give it or take, they reached a cave that was completely covered in darkness everywhere you looked at. "If that's not the place, I'm cow Faunus." Said Cyane, now on the left shoulder of Onyx.

Onyx nodded while looking at the cave. The cave in itself was rather obscure, and with the mantle of darkness, it was almost as if there was a small black hole in the mountain. The sunlight didn't reach past the entrance of the cave, and the darkness seemed to repel it, as if it wasn't welcomed there.

' _Ready?'_ Asked Ember.

Cyane took a deep breath, looking into the dark and calming her nerves. Onyx closed his eyes and breathed out. "As ready as we will ever be." Answered Cyane for both of them.

Onyx nodded and stepped forward. He extended his palm and a flame appeared on it, illuminating the long cave. While Cyane could normally see in the dark, he could not. They advanced slowly, looking at the walls, up and down in order to see if there were any other pathways. The corridor continued without divisions, turning in a few ways, making its way deeper into the mountain.

The turned another corner and at the end of the path there was an opening with some light on it. In fact, it was not precisely with more light, but with less darkness. They moved in that direction and entered the chamber. There were still no other entrances apart from the way they came from and the only thing notable in the room was the center of it.

A bridge connected were they stood to the center of the spherical room, were a pedestal stood. Over it, a floating orb of what appeared to be darkness. "What is that?" Asked Cyane.

"I don't know. Ember?"

Ember hummed for a moment. _'I can feel an extreme amount of darkness coming through that. I don't know exactly what it is, but…'_ Ember remained silent for a moment. _'It doesn't feel hostile. I don't know if you can hear them as much as I can, but the whispers want us to come closer to it.'_

Cyane looked back and then to the… thing floating a few meters away. "Well, is either that or we go back to Beacon empty handed and without much knowledge of whatever the hell all of this is." She said as she jumped down from his shoulder.

"You are right. Watch my back, I will see what is causing so much trouble." He stepped forward as he sheathed his sword on his back, Cyane close by behind him. They crossed the thin bridge that separated them from the floating orb. While the structure seemed weak, it didn't crack or broke, even if there wasn't much of a fall to the lowest part.

They reached the other part without trouble and Onyx walked the short stairs leading to the altar. On closer inspection, the orb's outline was moving slowly, it being a soft shade of purple while the center was completely black. _'Now what?'_ He thought to himself. He had expected something to attack them here as a trap or an abomination to spawn from the orb by this point.

Without anything else to do, he inched a hand closer to the orb. "If something starts pulling you in from it, I'm not helping you out." Said Cyane, with a small grin plastered on her face.

Onyx chuckled. "Wow, so much for having a partner." He looked back at the orb, breathed slowly, and moved his hand to it. His hand went right through the orb, entering it without trouble or pain. He could still feel his hand on the other side, cold but not freezing. It was almost… refreshing, in away. "Are you feeling this, Ember?"

' _Don't worry.'_ Said Ember, aware of the thoughts in the knight's head. _'The Darkness is not always freezing and destructive, just as light is not always hopeful and warm. It can be cold and welcoming, just as light can be burning and blinding. I feel like whatever the Darkness is trying to do here, it's not against us.'_

"For my sake, I hope you are right." Answered Onyx, as he then proceeded to move his other hand inside. When he did so, the whispers, which had been turning louder in the cave, even with Ember's help, completely stopped and their heads became eerily silent, as the cave they were in.

Before any of the three could question what had happened, Onyx felt something in his hands inside the orb. "I've got something." Cyane leaned closer, trying to look through the orb, but saw nothing inside. "It feels… rough and… round? Bigger than a ball, that's for sure."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Pull it out." Said Cyane, getting impatient and excited to see what was going happening.

"Calm down, we don't know what this is. Let us do this carefully." He answered. He slowly pulled the object out, and in that moment, the whispers returned, as loud as shouts. They were definitely going to have a headache after this.

"Arg! What the fuck?!" Shouted Cyane, holding her ears in vain. The voices were almost unintelligible, but Onyx could hear one louder than the rest. "I don't know what you are doing, but make it stop!" She shouted.

Her words didn't reach Onyx, the whispers he heard somewhat quieter, but almost shouting nonetheless, and he could just make out the word of the loudest whisper: D̵̨̠͙̊́à̸͔̟͇̿͘r̸̦̼͋̓̒k̵̭̣͕̝̓̂̈̈́e̶̬̭͉̣̐a̴͔̗̙͑̅͒ţ̵̳̗͇͛͌̈́͝ę̵̥̪͆r̶̡̛̿̎. He kept bringing the object out, with resistance from part of the orb. He closed her eyes, and tired of the whispers, he pulled with all his strength. The orb relented and he stumbled backwards a few steps.

The moment the object exited the portal, the whispers ceased completely, and the portal started vanishing slowly. The cave became silent again, not a trace of the shouting they both heard a second ago. Not even the sound of the portal, which no longer remained atop of the altar. The pulsations of the darkness around them became slower and weaker, as if its heart had stopped. Before he opened his eyes, one last whisper reached both of them.

"Ṁ̶͇̗̟̝̫͗͆͒͝i̵̧̢̳̘͂̊́͊͌̿͜͝d̴̯͈̱̬̠̔͋̏͌͜ͅî̷̡̞̹͓̝͕͇r̵̨̟̗̥̫̬̳̋…"

Onyx opened his eyes, looking at Cyane first. "Cyane, are you alright?"

"Ugh. So this is what it feels to have a hangover. I seriously pity Neo now." He shook her head and looked at him. "Anyway what was- what the hell is that!?" She said, pointing at the object he hold.

Onyx looked down and almost whished he hadn't been brought back to life by Ember. In his hands was an oval shape, completely black. Its exterior was covered in hard plates, similar to scales. They were rough and appeared to be extremely resistant. It was as big as a grown man's body, reaching from one's neck to the hips. In hands of Onyx, it was far easier to carry, but still very bulky. Even if Onyx just wanted to throw it away to the hole it came from.

It was an egg. A _dragon's_ egg.

Onyx breathed heavily, trying to stay calm, as small flashes of fire, shouts and lightning came to his mind. "It looks like an egg. Is it an egg?" Asked Cyane.

Onyx sighed. _'I don't know why the Darkness has sent this here,'_ said Ember, _'but if it is trying to help us, I think it has done a good job.'_ Onyx disagreed, but seeing as how the darkness had acted since they encountered it, he wasn't going to say no to an ally, even if it is… this.

"It is an egg." Answered Onyx. Cyane looked at him. "More specifically, the egg of beings that existed even before my age, and which I thought extinct until now." Cyane looked at him, confused. "Dragons."

He could almost hear the gears on Cyane's brain click. She then smiled one of the biggest smiles he had ever seen her have, and he could swear that there were literal _stars_ on her eyes.

He didn't know if he was more afraid of the being inside the egg or of his partner.

* * *

On the way back, Onyx covered the egg in a blanket in order to keep it hidden from prying eyes. Not that there were many in the forest, but they were still going to be picked up by the same pilot that brought them here and they would have to walk back to Ozpin's office and then to their rooms. In that time, it was possible that many students could see the egg if not covered properly.

That didn't stop Cyane, though. She bombarded Onyx and Ember with questions about the dragons until they reached the point where the darkness had stopped its spread. Curiously, they both noted that it was disappearing slowly, as if it was receding back to the cave. This allowed them to call the extraction sooner and before it arrived, they noticed the animals returning slowly to the forest. The plants that were covered in darkness seemed to be in perfect state after it left them. They could even spot a couple of Ursas still warily eyeing the darkness, but moving closer nonetheless.

The flight back was more or less quiet, with Onyx stopping his partner unrelenting questioning with the excuse of the pilot hearing their conversation. That is, until she started using their link to keep asking nonstop. Luckily, Ember intervened. _'Cyane, stop. We are going to talk with Ozpin about this, most surely Glynda too, and then Platinum and Michael. They are going to have questions too and we rather not repeat ourselves. So, please, wait until then.'_

That seemed to stop Cyane's questioning, even if she kept bouncing in the seat. They arrived at the landing pads at Beacon to be received by Glynda. She beckoned them to follow her and they reached the tower without trouble. It was still morning, and many of the students were in class, so they didn't encounter many people on the trip to Ozpin's office, only a few guards which didn't ask questions about what was under the blanket.

They reached Ozpin's office, with the man sitting behind his desk, with a cup in his hand. "Welcome." He said smiling. "I've been keeping an eye on the still functioning cameras and it appears that the darkness is retreating. I suppose that is your work?"

Onyx nodded while Cyane answered, both of them already seated and with the egg in Onyx's lap. "You bet, cane-and-mug man!" She said with a smile, Onyx smiling under his helmet at the confusion of Glynda and Ozpin.

"It's a long story." Said Onyx. He explained their encounter with Salem and the strange Grimm, the cave and the orb. "And that leads us to what I have here." Onyx said, uncovering the egg and showing it to the two professors.

Ozpin leaned closer, curious about the object, while Glynda raised an eyebrow. "Is that an egg?"

Onyx nodded. "Indeed. The egg of a dragon, to be clear." That made Glynda recoil her head a bit and look with disbelief at the egg.

That only made Ozpin more curious. "So what you are saying is that this Darkness has given us a creature of fairy tales to fight against the Grimm?"

Onyx shrugged. "We aren't completely certain. Ember has told me that it is definitely not a Grimm. And I can assure you that dragons are more than fairy tales, Ozpin. After all, I was one of the knights that fought against them and made them go almost extinct."

All eyes in the room turned to him. "You told me that you faced demons. You never told me you fought freaking dragons!" Shouted Cyane. "Although, facing demons sounds cool too, but still!"

Onyx shook his head. "Neither demons nor dragons are laughing matter when it comes to a fight. As I said, we fought the dragons in order to claim the lands they occupied. One of their own, a traitor without scales, told us the secret to defeat them. And defeat them we did." He closed his eyes. "Some of us thought we killed them all, but I heard stories and tales of their descendants still living. They were not as powerful as their ancestors, but all dragons with their ancestors scales were immortal thanks to them. That didn't make them un-killable, though."

The three other people in the room took in his words. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner? It sounds like you have a lot of stories from that time." Said Cyane.

"You never asked, but I did told you that I knew dragons in my time." He turned to Ozpin. "Anything to say?"

Ozpin stood in silence for a moment alongside Glynda. "You mentioned a traitor. Does that mean that the dragons were intelligent creatures?" Questioned Ozpin.

"Some more than others." Answered Onyx. "But the first dragons were capable of speech. The traitor, Seath, became a Duke and many spells from my time were created by him. But even if the first dragons had a great deal of intelligence, it faded with the generations. Wyverns and Drakes were weaker and their intelligence resembled more that of an animal. Even some of them became closer to beast than they first were."

Ozpin hummed while Glynda took in what Onyx had said. "From what you are telling me, these dragons are far more distinct than the ones from our legends. Do you think that what comes out of that egg might resemble them?"

The knight sighed. "I don't know. I still have my doubts about it."

"What? Why!? Do you know cool will it be to have a dragon? Imagine it: me riding on it while it burns the battlefield full of Grimm and-" Cyane's musings were cut short by Onyx.

"Dragons are _dangerous_ , Cyane. One of them could burn the entirety of Vale in a breath. If whatever comes out of this egg, be it intelligent or not, decides that we and the people of Vale will serve as its meal, I don't know if I will be able to stop it." He said with a worried tone.

"For now, I recommend we take things with caution." Said Ozpin.

"What does Ember think about this?" Asked Glynda.

"We have agreed in keeping the egg for now." Answered Onyx. "When it hatches, we will see how things unravel and take a decision accordingly. It's not as if we could do much right now."

"I agree." Said Ozpin. "We'll see about this… dragon when the time comes, but for now try to keep it secret. I don't want my students to be distracted in class because they want to ride atop of a dragon in battle." He said with a smile, looking at Cyane, who laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head.

"In this situation, I agree." Onyx looked to Cyane. "I will already have to deal with one person trying to ask me questions nonstop. If more students learn about this, I fear for the creature's safety when it hatches." He said, almost jokingly. _Almost_. He knew that some of the students were too excitable, and knowing that a dragon existed may cause quite the ruckus.

* * *

Onyx returned to his room, followed by Cyane, if only to ask more questions about the egg and the dragons. Inside the room, Onyx left the egg on one of the corners and sat on his bed, watching the egg with his helmet off. "So… when do you think it will hatch?"

Onyx stood there for a moment, regarding the question. "I… actually don't know." Onyx sighed. "Look, Cyane, I used to _hunt_ dragons, not hatch them. I know how to kill them, how to weaken them, but not their behavior or how long it takes for one to be born. Maybe Gwyn or Seath knew, but right now I rather not talk about this." He said in a stern voice, massaging his forehead lightly.

Cyane frowned and sat beside him in silence for a few minutes. She then spoke. "You don't like the dragons, do you?"

Onyx stayed silent for a moment. "Not only that." He sighed again. "When we were created by Ember, our three gods, Gwyn, Nito and the Witch of Izalith, guided us to battle against the dragons. With the help of Seath, we were made aware of their weakness, one that could tear off the scales that gifted them with immortality: lightning. Gwyn guided us, his knights, to throw the lightning at the dragons, peeling of their scales for the other gods to kill. But it was a costly victory: many on both sides died, the dragons, as I said, almost extinct and the land left in ashes and fire. It was a long time until we were able to build and prosper and I had lost many friends during the war."

Cyane sat there in silence, listening to her partner. "But you know what the worst of all is?" He continued. "I'm still not sure why we did it. Sure, we needed the surface they occupied, but they were intelligent creatures, and many of them could have even been scholars of knowledge we didn't even know. It always nagged in the back of my mind if it could have been… different." He looked at the girl beside him. "We may have lost many of our soldiers and friends, but we almost hunted them down to the point of extinction, Cyane. And part of me wanders to this day how many of those deaths were caused by the hate and lust for revenge of a traitorous dragon."

Both of them stood in silence, not even Ember wanted to speak. Then, Cyane hugged him by his side. "I can't imagine what you've been through, Onyx. But we are in this together. I promised you that I would stand by your side and that I would help you in every way I can. And I know sometimes I can be a little difficult to deal with," that made Onyx roll his eyes with a small smile, while Cyane looked at him, "but I will always be grateful to have you as my friend. You have helped me when I needed it, and me and Ember will be there when you need us, right, Ember?"

' _She is right, my friend.'_ Answered the little flame on both of their heads. _'You chose to help me save this world when you could have decided to forsake your quest or ask me to return you to the realm of the dead. We will be here for you as you are there for us.'_

Cyane smiled at him, and he couldn't help but smile and hug back. "Thank you both." They stood like that for a time before he broke the silence. "Hey, Cyane." The girl looked up to him. "Do you want to spar for a while? I think we earned a little time to calm ourselves."

Cyane separated and nodded happily. "You know, normal people don't consider a spar a way to relax." She said, as he picked his helmet and gave a last look to the egg before putting it on. "Then again, I don't think we are what most people would call 'normal'"

He closed the door behind him and locked it. "Where is the fun on being normal?"

* * *

The rest of the day went by without incident. He contacted Platinum and Michael, letting them know about the mission and the egg, surprising both of them again. Plat reported that he still hadn't found any leads that may take them to Salem, with Michael reporting mostly the same, though he did say that he would contact Doctor Polendina. Messingen said that he was more updated on the scientific community back in Atlas than he was.

Later in the evening, when most students were already at their rooms, Cyane and Onyx went to a training arena after dinner. When they made sure that no one had followed them, Cyane sat in one side of the arena as Onyx stood at the other. "I told you I was working on something lately." He begun. "You know that, thanks to Ember, I can create pyromancies and use them in combat in different ways."

Cyane nodded. "Wait, are you going to teach me how to use them!?" She asked excitedly.

Onyx nodded. "Yes, but not now." The girl whined and lowered her head. "I want you to see what Ember and I have been trying to do recently."

With that, he sheathed his sword and, with his other hand, picked a Lightning Dust crystal from his endless pouch. "During one of my training sessions, Ember wondered if we could apply Dust to my pyromancies, to add different effects, but until now we haven't managed to test that idea."

With that he channeled his Aura into his hand, triggering the crystal and creating a small orb of fire around it. Sparks were flying around the crystal while inside of the fire. "Raise your shield. Let us see if this works."

Cyane did as told and prepared her shield. When she nodded, Onyx launched the fireball, still retaining the used crystal in his hand. The fire flew true, but it was only fire, no electricity accompanied the attack. "I don't think it worked," said Cyane, "even if it still packs a punch by itself."

Onyx hummed. She was obviously right, but Onyx wondered what it was that didn't work. The crystal hadn't ran out, so he tried again, this time using more of the energy in the crystal. He nodded to Cyane and she raised her shield again. He charged the fireball and launched again. Unfortunately, the results were the same. The lightning did travel a couple of feet alongside the ball of fire, but disappeared after that.

The crystal had ran out anyways, so that last one was a waste of Dust without even working. They gave it a few more tries, even changing from crystals to powder, but none of them gave results. One fireball managed to reach with electricity, but it didn't have enough charge on it to even be notable in an attack, and it wasted an entire crystal for one attack.

Both of them were confused as to why it didn't work, and asking Ember, it said that it was just as lost as them. Then, an idea came to Ember. _'Onyx, instead of using more Dust or more of your Aura, try to hold both the pyromancy and the activated crystal at the same time for a moment.'_

Onyx nodded and did as Ember instructed. Drops of lava sizzled as they fell and landed on the floor beneath him. _'Now, try to concentrate on your Aura and bring the crystal and the fire together.'_ Onyx raised an eyebrow but closed his eyes. He could feel the tingling sensation of the Electric Dust and the raw power from the fire in his hand, waiting to be unleashed. He concentrated on both and started pulling them together, not physically but with his Aura as a connection to both.

It took some time to do so, as both powers tried to separate or explode. But with enough concentration, he willed the two together. When he opened his eyes, the crystal still remained in his hand, but the fireball was now sparking wildly apart from dropping more lava on the ground. Onyx smiled and looked at Cyane, who raised her shield, readying for the attack.

He threw the fireball at Cyane, which impacted against her shield, exploding in fire and electricity both and making Cyane skid back a couple of meters. "Wow, that was strong." She said, lowering her shield and walking closer. "I think even my Aura took a hit from that." She said, shaking her shoulder.

Onyx looked at the crystal still in his hand. It hadn't ran out yet, leaving him with enough energy to throw at least 3 or 4 more attacks. "Let's keep practicing." Said Onyx. "I want to test some things."

Cyane frowned. "Easy for you to say. You are not the one getting pelted with fireballs and Dust."

"If you do this, I promise to teach you some pyromancies during the weekend." He said.

"Deal!" She said almost instantly. "Let me draw on your Aura, though. If I'm going to be taking hits like that for a while I rather have something in reserve, and you have a shit tone of it."

Onyx nodded and allowed Cyane to take some of his Aura. With that done, they continued the training. Onyx started by trying different types of Dust: Ground, Wind, Gravity and even Ice. They all carried different effects: Ground made the attack impact with more force, Wind made it quicker and sent small gusts of air on impact, Gravity created a powerful shockwave, repelling everything away around it and Ice froze the point of impact after at the same time the fire burned, and somehow not melting away.

Then, Onyx focused on making the connection between Dust and pyromancy quicker, managing to do it in a couple of seconds. In fact, he discovered he could charge the Dust more time in order for it to have a greater effect. Afterwards, he tried different pyromancies, this time leaving Cyane aside in order for her to recover. He tried with Chaos Storm, Great Combustion, Chaos Fire Whip and Chaos Bed Vestiges. All of them worked, with different ranges of success, but Ember told him that, with more training, he would be able to cast and empower them in the blink of an eye. After all, Aura was like a muscle: the more you trained it, the stronger and easier to use it gets.

After a while, they both made their way back to their rooms. Cyane was almost falling asleep on Onyx shoulder. "What happened to you? You didn't look this tired when we were training." He said, smiling under his helmet.

Cyane yawned. "Shut up. It's been a freaking long day and I'm worn out. Do I have to remind you that other people need sleep to live, Mr. 'I have no basic needs'?" She said in a tired and annoyed voice.

Onyx chuckled. "You are right. You only get this cranky when you are sleepy."

She leaned close to his ear and whispered angrily. "Shut the fuck up."

Onyx laughed and let Cyane drop to the ground. He walked to his own room while she searched for her scroll to open the door, yawning again. "Goodnight, cranky spider."

Cyane mumbled something, though if it was an insult or a goodbye, he couldn't hear it. He shook his head while he unlocked the door and walked in. He was tired himself, so he decided that he would rest that night. He leaned his sword against the wall and stripped his armor, leaving him in the clothes that he had under the armor. He changed into more comfortable clothes and laid on the bed.

He gave one look at the egg at one of the sides of the room. He smiled. "She is right. It would be quite fun to ride a dragon." With that, he dozed off to sleep for the night.

* * *

"C'mon Ash!" Yelled a boy.

"Wait, Denim!" Another boy reached the first one. They were in a forest, close to a village south of Vale. "We shouldn't be so far from the town at night. Mom and dad are going to be mad at us."

"Nah. Don't worry, little bro. We aren't that far and there are very few Grimm around the village. We are safe!" Yelled Denim, clearly a couple of years older than his brother.

Through the shadows of a tree, four eyes settled on the two kids. They watched intently their every move, making sure they always stayed in her sight. The children kept talking, unaware of the presence of the being close to them. She listened to what they were saying with interest. She lurked in the shadows of the night, above them in the trees, silent enough to not even disturb the birds and animals it passed by.

"Don't be afraid, Ash. How are you going to become a huntsman if you jump at every sound? Be brave!"

"But I don't want to be a huntsman!" Retorted the smaller child. "I want to be a pilot. I want to fly one of those big ships from Atlas and travel around Remnant!"

The children stayed in the same place since she caught sight of them. Human offspring had no sense of survival. Even the newborn Grimm knew how to stay alive in the nature, even if that sense was completely thrown away when one laid their eyes on a human or a Faunus. Only the older ones knew not to act recklessly. She knew the rest of the Grimm, while not as clever as humans, grew in intelligence with the years and the attacks they performed. But even then, even the oldest of Grimm, could only learn so much.

The Goliaths, for example, had learned to stay away from their enemies unless an opportunity presented itself. They knew how most of their basic soldiers fought and knew that if a hunter showed itself on the scene, it probably meant harm and danger, even if they were stronger. But that's about it. If the Grimm were harmed or enraged enough, they lost all sense of self-preservation or knowledge accumulated through the years, and she had seen hunters and soldiers alike take advantage of those fits of rage to kill her brethren.

"And then he swung his glaive to the side and killed another one! It was awesome!" Said the child who she had identified as Ash.

"When I'm older, I will enter Beacon and come back to the village. Then I'll challenge him and beat him, and then the mayor will make me the hunter of the village. I will replace that old man and be the best hunter we ever had!" Said the child named Denim, brother of the smaller one.

How pathetic, she mused. They had already revealed that their village only had one hunter, and old at that. Adding to that was the fact that the village had a weak garrison, simply because Grimm attacks were low in the area, made it a very easy target if she decided to attack it. Oh, how she liked learning, specially if that information could then be used in her benefit. It was one of the many advantages she had over the rest of her kin: while they grew up to a limit, with very basic information, she learned from every move, every sound, every smell. Her fellow Grimm could tell the difference between a hunter and soldier; she could see if the hunter was tired or with their Aura full, if their weapon was well maintained or if the next bullet would get stuck. She had seen many of those fools leave their weapons, their means of defense, to break and crumble.

Returning to reality, she could see that the children had moved closer to the tree she was hiding in. They hadn't noticed her, as their behavior remained the same as before. She started wondering when would she hear their parents or friends looking for them. If one thing was clear amongst almost all humans and Faunus is that they protected their offspring even before themselves, fiercely fighting in order to protect them. If the parents of these two were anything like the majority of humans, their next actions would be easily predictable.

A few moments later, shouts and calls reached her ears. "Ash! Denim! Were have you gone!?" Came a worried female voice.

"You know you shouldn't be out this late at night! Come back this instant!" Another voice, this one from a male, reached her. He definitely sounded angrier than the other one.

Ah, there they were. So predictable. She could have killed the children a dozen times now. In fact, she could do it this very same moment. It would be too easy: the older brother was leaning with his back on the tree she was in, his little brother in front of him. She could already see a few ways in front of her eyes: her tail reaching for the back of the neck of the smaller brother, breaking his column and tearing through his windpipe in a single stabbing motion, and before the older brother could react, she would already have a claw in his throat, slicing it open in a fast, silent and deadly cut. Maybe, instead of her claw, she could use her teeth, biting apart half of the skull of the older brother in a sickening crunch, this way far more bloody but more enjoyable.

"I think dad is angry." Spoke Ash, with a worried face.

"Yeah. But don't worry, he'll just give us the same talk as always." He said, picking the hand of his brother and moving towards the voices.

Before they could take another step, a weird sound followed by a _'crunch!'_ sounded behind them. They turned around, only to find nothing. No animals, no Grimm and no source of the sound. They looked at each other before the voices of their parents reached them again. "Coming, Mom! Coming, Dad!" Responded Denim, forgetting about the sound and walking alongside his brother to their parents.

She watched them go, laughing softly. So that's why they laughed, because they were happy. Another thing she had learnt. Good. She was gifted by her Fair Lady the power of knowledge and the capability of expanding it. Because unlike her brothers, unlike the Ursa that was impaled by the neck and upper jaw in her tail like a hook, she found humans and Faunus _fascinating_. And while she possessed the hatred all Grimm had in them against humans and Faunus, she also felt that their destruction should be done with care and precision, with information and with a touch of… how did they call it… ah, yes, style.

She lifted the barely alive Ursa close to his face, forever smiling. She looked at the confused and pained red eyes of the lower creature before him, contrasting with her calm and analytical purple ones. The Grimm, still convulsing because of its broken spine and on the verge of death, was pulled directly in front of her. She brought a hand close to her face and extended a single claw over her mouth. "Shhhhh…" She said, resembling something like a hiss. "Don't… waste… oportunitiessssssss…"

The Ursa faded away and she jumped to follow the children and their parents back to the village. If she could only find- ah, there they were. A pack of Beowolves closing in on the family. Good, but she would need to stop them. Killing a family would put the town on high alert and most surely call reinforcements. And this close to Beacon, they might send that knight. Even if the idea was really appealing, seeing him as a great source of knowledge and entertainment, she had other plans for now.

After all, if you wanted a town to fall, you needed to take out the hunters first.

* * *

 **A.N.: new characters, whooo! Nobody made guesses as to who or what was going to be in that cave, but if anyone thought about that dragon, then congrats! You nailed it.**

 **At first I thought of Artorias or the Abyss Watchers, but the first would steal the spotlight and the second one would just be another OC, with the only difference being that it would have the some relationship with the past Onyx came from. In the end I chose Midir for two reasons: first, it is the only boss in the entire DS-BB series that took me 2 ENTIRE DAYS of tries and retries until I beat him, which has earned him my respect and my most utter hate, and second, is a FREAKING DRAGON THAT SHOOTS FIRE AND LASERS MADE FROM DARKNESS. I think a little red caped reaper is going to go on sugar rush mode if she learns about him.**

 **Weirdly enough, I have fought against him many times after my first victory and every time I have killed him on the first try. That is if I wasn't invoked and the host died** _ **instantly**_ **. Goddam casuls.**

 **Remember to review and leave your opinion.**

 **Have a great day!**


	17. Chapter XIII

**A.N.: hello there! Really, really sorry this took so long. I've been having problems IRL. My mother had to go to the hospital, nothing grave, but I have to take care of her for a couple of weeks. Combine that with the university and the overall frustration of falling to do the zombies Easter egg 3 times because the game crashes, and you can understand that I don't have too much energy to write.**

 **But you aren't here to hear me complain about my life! Here is the new chapter, and I will start working on the next one ASAP, so you can have it on time.**

 **Reviews return next chapter. I won't answer all of the ones I have left, but rest assured that I have read all of them.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter XIII**

 **Biting the Dust**

When morning came, Onyx was woken up by Ember. He sat on his bed and his train of thought drifted to the classes that the first years had today. When he realized, he brought up both his hands to his face and groaned in displeasure. _'Don't work yourself over it.'_ Said Ember. _'She does this every semester, you might as well just accept it.'_

Onyx grunted and stepped off the bed, picking his armor and strapping it on. "It's not that she likes to do it, it's the paperwork I have to fill in if something goes wrong. Witch it usually does." After he finished with his armor, he picked his shield, but before he grasped the hilt of his sword, he took a look at the egg. Thin, purple lines pulsated faintly between some scales. He walked closer and inspected it. The lines became a little bit brighter when he closed in, but the pulsations were still soft and weak.

He laid his open palm on the surface for a few moments. He could feel the faint sound of the beat, it's pace similar to the one of a heart. Whatever was inside the egg was growing quickly. Ember couldn't know with certainty, but it guessed that the dragon inside might break the egg soon, maybe even before the next week ended. Onyx still didn't know how to feel about this, but he had more pressing matters to worry about.

He picked his sword and left the room. Ember informed him that Cyane hadn't woken up yet, seeing as how classes wouldn't start until two hours. He made his way to the cafeteria, greeting Peter and Bartholomew when he arrived, both teachers waiting for their coffee to be served. Onyx had noted that teachers tended to treat their special brand of the drink as some sort of idol or god, and he shuddered just remembering the _one day_ it ran out. He didn't wish for anyone that traumatic experience.

Well, maybe for Salem.

"It still amazes me how one simple drink can be treated as a holy item in this school." He said as a from of greeting to the still awakening teachers.

Before they could answer, one of the cooks brought out their cups. In blinding speeds, both of them downed their drinks, sighing in pleasure as they finished. Gone were the two half-asleep adults, replaced by the energetic and jovial teachers that he knew so well. They even seemed brighter and more alive that just barely a second before.

"My friend, when that same drink is capable of almost bringing a dead back to Remnant, it's hard not to do so." Said Peter, finishing with a laugh as Oobleck passed his thermos/weapon to the woman behind the counter to fill it with the same coffee brand.

"Indeed. Something that amazes me more is that you seem completely unaffected by it's wonders." Spoke Oobleck. Onyx sheathed his sword in his back and picked up a trail to fill with his breakfast.

"I guess my body has more resistance to it than yours." While Peter and Bart knew that he was not a Faunus or a human, they didn't know the whole truth. Ozpin had revealed only the necessary: that he was brought from the past to help them protect Remnant. At first, both teachers had kept an eye on him as requested by Ozpin, but with time they had grown to be very close friends. He liked the talks he had with Oobleck about the past and its history, and it was always fun to discuss battles and stories with Peter, once you grew accustomed to the old huntsman talkative nature.

"I must admit, though, it is quite strong." In reality, it was Ember who prevented the effects to take hold. Onyx had tried the beverage a couple of years ago in secret, and he ended up in a killing spree of the Grimm that inhabited the Emerald Forest for almost 20 hours. He agreed with Ember to never let that happen again, simply because he couldn't even raise himself from the ground afterwards for another couple of hours.

"Are you going to be present during some of our classes?" Asked Peter. "It is always good for students to see someone such as you defeat a Grimm in front of them. It shows them how a true huntsman deals with the enemy. I would do it myself, but someone must keep guard if something goes awry."

"As much as I would like to, it's _that day_ of the semester again." He said with a sigh.

"Oh! Already?" Mused Bart. He looked at his scroll. "So it is. Maybe this year you are lucky and you can convince Glynda to help you with the paperwork."

"I wouldn't count on it, gentlemen." Said a stern voice. The three turned to see said teacher walking up to the counter and nodding to the woman at the other side, which brought a steaming cup back to her in record time. Unlike the other teachers, Glynda didn't like coffee, settling for some Mistralian tea that was brought here specially for her. Privileges of being a teacher at one of the four main academies. "I handle the broken arena, he handles the broken bones and the visits to the infirmary." She said as she brought the cup up to her lips.

"I know. You don't need to remind me about it." Said Onyx. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. "But this year, you have an assistant. Why don't you send her to help me with the paperwork? It will be her class too, after all."

The only answer he got from Glynda was a stern look that could have frozen him in place if he hadn't faced dragons and demons, and even some of them paled in comparison to that look. It reminded him of the looks Ciaran sent to whoever spoke of her relationship with Artorias in her close vicinity. He relented and sighed. Paperwork in a school filled with hormoned teenagers was something everyone would throw at the Headmistress if they could. Ozpin did so partially. Peter patted him in the back. "Some of the hardships one must face in life are not on the battlefield."

"Indeed." Said Oobleck. "Best of luck, Onyx." He zipped away followed closely by his colleague. Wow, what great friends he had, abandoning him at the first sight of danger.

He shook his head and took a seat on one of the close tables. The hall was almost empty at this hour, only a few early birds here and there. Glynda sat in front of him as he took off his helmet and started his breakfast. He didn't need to eat, but the food in Beacon was nothing short of delicious. "You take this too dramatically. It's just paperwork, not the end of the world."

Onyx looked at Glynda, giving her a deadpan look. "Look at me and tell me I'm made for paperwork. I'm a warrior, a soldier, a _knight_ , not a low-life scribe or office worker." He said in a bored tone. "And it's not just the office work. The students then whine and complain, some even call their parents to come and shout at me, seeing as how Cyane is under my tutelage. Some don't seem to understand that their _'oh so precious boy or girl'_ is training to fight the horrors of this world, and if they can't withstand a defeat, then they are already _corpses_."

"I admit that I have encountered my fair share of… _worried_ parents. Some can't understand what is it that we do here or how we do it." She sighed and lowered her cup to the table. "But that and more is what we must endure in order to keep training the best huntsmen and huntresses we can."

Onyx nodded. He looked around, making sure they were out of earshot of the students. "How is Amber doing?"

Glynda closed her eyes and remained silent before answering. "She is doing fine. Her Aura is still recovering, but it's replenishing quicker than expected. I suppose you may have something to do with that?" Onyx nodded slightly. "She can't walk without her legs failing her yet, but she will recover in a few days."

"Those are good news." Onyx looked at his scroll. "I still have an hour more or less before Cyane wakes up. I will visit her later and see if me and Ember can help with anything else."

Glynda didn't answer, limiting herself to rake small sips of her tea. They remained in silence until Onyx finished his food. He slipped on his helmet and was about to rise before Glynda stopped him. "Wait." She said. "I know don't usually say this, but thank you. Even if we have different methods, we all are trying to help the people of Remnant. We all attempt our best, but you specifically should be proud. You chose to help us even of you didn't know anything about us. I'm sure that Ozpin feels the same way about you." She said with a smile.

Onyx stood in silence for a moment before answering. "My time fell into chaos because of the dark and the fear the ones living in the light had to it. This time will come to an end too, but it still many, _many_ years away from that ending, and I won't let it fall for as long as I can prevent it." He smiled under the helmet. "But that doesn't mean I have to do it alone. I'm also glad that I have friends here at Beacon. Together we can overcome any obstacle that stands in our way."

* * *

Onyx exited the elevator to the vault. He walked to the room Amber recovering. He reached to the door but before he opened it, a faint _'clack'_ , _'clack'_ could be heard inside. He pushed the door slightly and discovered the source of the noise. Inside, Amber was trying to walk around the small room with the help of a couple of crutches. Her legs were still not working completely and she was grunting with the effort. She wasn't facing the door when Onyx entered and didn't appear to have heard him, so when Onyx closed the door, she turned around to see her visitor, only to lose balance and fall to the ground.

She let out a small _'eep!'_ and braced for the impact, only to be stopped in mid-fall. She turned her head around and saw Onyx holding her hand behind her. "You shouldn't try this without help. You are still recovering." He pulled and aided the girl to her feet, still holding her hand.

She sighed and walked to sit on the bed with the help of the knight. "I know. But being down here is driving me mad! I can't fight, I can't walk, my powers don't help me here and I don't even have a TV to entertain myself! The only thing I can do is read or sleep., and I'm out of books!"

Onyx chuckled and sat in one of the chairs of the room. "I can't say I have been as impeded as you are right now, but the only thing you can do now is be patient. Your Aura will heal you soon and you will be up in no time, trust me."

She groaned and laid back on the bed. She stood silent for a moment before talking. "I know this may be asking too much from you, but can't you do what you did to my Aura before to help me?"

Onyx hummed while Ember talked. _'I can boost her Aura, but even with that her muscles will still be numb. Trying to concentrate my power and her Aura on her nerves may end up being extremely painful.'_

"I rather not." Answered Onyx. "My powers would have to focus on your nerves, making the process painful. Aiding your Aura in general is fine, but something as delicate as your nerves and pain receptors may do more harm than good."

Amber sighed. "Well, it was worth a try." She eyed the books beside the bed and then back at Onyx. "Would you mind bringing me more? Or maybe a scroll?"

Onyx smiled. "Of course." He moved closer to the books and took a look at the one atop of the pile: "The third knife", a mystery novel. It was quite big. "Any preference?"

"Mystery or adventure ones. Something that can last me some time." She said.

"I'll ask Ozpin. He does know his way with books and stories." He put the book down and moved to the door. "And I'll see about that scroll too." He opened the door and left.

* * *

After talking with Ozpin, Onyx returned to his room and contacted Platinum and Michael. Platinum hadn't managed to find anything on the names and faces yet, but he had heard something relating to the White Fang and the branch in Vale that he was going to investigate. As for the doctor, he was creating a small list of people that had acted suspiciously or that could have reasons to betray the kingdoms.

A while after he checked on them, Ember warned him that Cyane had awoken. He sighed and waited outside of her room. When she exited, he noted the smug grin on her face. "Good morning, Cyane."

"You bet is going to be a good morning, metal-head." They walked through the halls towards the cafeteria. She snickered. "Well, at least for me."

"Just… try to not harm them too badly." He said. "I am the one who has to deal with the aftermath of your… how did you call it last year?"

"'Welcoming beat down'. And I make no promises." She said, with the smile not leaving her face. "But I'm going to have to take it seriously. This new teams are really strong. Well, most of them at least."

He raised an eyebrow, surprised. They reached the cafeteria, now far more filled with students. Cyane led the way and reached for a tray to pick up her breakfast while Onyx took a seat, waiting for her. It didn't take long for her to finish and seat across him, her tray filled to the brim with pancakes, eggs, bacon and other foods.

"You really believe they are strong enough to match you?" Asked Onyx while Cyane ate. "I have taken a look at the initiation. Some of them are quite exceptional, but you really think they can match up to you, even with only a couple of days as teams?"

Cyane swallowed the food she had on her mouth before speaking. "Well, everyone except team CRDL seems to be very good coordinated, and they are just as strong individually." She picked more food and started chewing. "I fean, fey dreally chowd off at-"

"Cyane, manners."

She finished the food in her mouth. "Right, sorry. But I mean it." She said. "The only other team that got me this excited was CFVY, and this year there are three of them! I can't wait to fight some of them. There's Pyrrha, Schwarz, Ruby or I can even rematch with that girl, Yang! This is going to be great!"

Onyx chuckled. "Just be careful and don't bite more than you can chew. Pun not intended." He said before Cyane could reply, her mouth almost full. "You have information on most of them, so choose carefully."

She did a thumbs up and smiled. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I'll think about it until it's time for combat training." She went back to her breakfast while Onyx watched around him. Things were relatively calm in the hall, but he could spot one of the students approaching him.

"Um… hi, professor." Greeted Ruby, now with the academy uniform. Her cape was still attached to her neck, though.

"Hello, Miss Rose." He answered cordially. "Take a seat." Cyane limited herself to a wave of her hand.

Ruby nodded and sat beside Onyx, the knight looking at her through his helmet. "So… how has been your day so far?" She begun somewhat weirdly.

"Good for now, Miss Rose." He answered warmly. "But I have the feeling that it's going to become far more complicated by the end of it." He said, sending a look to Cyane.

"Oh, um…"

"Is there anything you need, Miss Rose?" He asked. While he preferred to address people by their names, he made exception with the students in public.

She laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of her head. "Heh, heh. Well, I was actually wondering if we you were actually going to train me as you said."

Onyx smiled. "Of course." She smiled at him. "I normally train everyday a few hours with Cyane, but if you want we can start this weekend the three of us, seeing as how you will have classes during the rest of the week."

Ruby smiled excitedly and almost bounced in her seat. " Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, I can't wait! I'm going to impress everyone when-"

Onyx cut her off before she could continue. "I must warn you, training will be hard, _extremely so_. If you think you won't stand it, this is your last chance to step out."

"But it does get results!" Said Cyane, already finished with her food. "Look at me, I'm almost 16 and I'm already taking huntsmen level missions! You can only back out now, though."

"Nope." Said Ruby, popping the 'p'. "If I want to be stronger, I need to break my limits and push forward. I still need to catch up on two years of Signal."

"Spoken like a true leader." Onyx paused for a second before nodding. "Then it is settled. I'll pick you up in your room at 8 in the morning. Do not sleep past it."

"I won't, I promise!" She said with a beaming smile. She dusted off, leaving a trail of petals in her wake.

Onyx turned to Cyane. "I won't be able to train her if you break any of her bones today. They take several days to heal completely, if you remember." He said in a sarcasm.

Cyane waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, don't worry, I remember. Plus, I think I'm not going to fight her team. I'm between JNPR or CRDL."

"Why not LSRN?"

"I don't know enough a out them. Schwarz weapon is almost limitless and I rather not fight sound waves and fire while an assassin teleports behind me." She looked towards were the three teams, RWBY, JNPR and LSRN, were seated. "On the other hand, the only two real problems of JNPR are Nikos and the hammer girl, Nora."

Onyx nodded. "Even if it's for something like this, I appreciate you take things more seriously. I'm proud of you, Cyane. You are adapting and getting stronger."

At those words, Cyane became a little bit flustered and smiled. "Aww, shucks, Onyx . You are a good teacher, though. You put effort, I double it."

"Good." He turned somewhat more serious. "Any news on Neo side of things?"

She frowned and spoke. "Nothing much. I may be able to talk to her personally later this weekend. Why do you ask?"

Onyx sighed. "The White Fang are attacking Dust shops, just like Roman, and both of them are only taking the Dust. The Council of Vale doesn't want huntsmen intervening, seeing it as a way for Ozpin to gain more influence on Vale itself, and I'm worried that he has decided to not act at all, just as always." He looked closer to Cyane. "This may be bigger than we thought. If anything comes up, please tell me."

Cyane nodded decisively. "Will do. We figure out what is going on and then we try to get them out of the mess they've got themselves into. All while stopping the robberies."

Onyx hummed. While he was worried about Neo and, on a less extent, Roman, he needed to make sure that the robberies stopped, one way or another. And, if what Neo said was true and someone else was pulling the strings, stop them too.

* * *

There were a few classes before combat training, though Onyx walked in early into the arena, finding Silver and Glynda talking between themselves. The arena was made so that everyone could look at the fight going on while taking notes. Furthermore, a screen showed off the levels of Aura of the combatants, linked to their scrolls and the one of the teacher.

"And here you can see the remaining energy of the protective field." Said Glynda, pointing towards a smaller screen close to the main one. "While you normally don't need to worry about it, it's always good that you keep an eye at it at the end of the week or after an extremely long or destructive match."

"Yeah, I guess we don't want the non-participants to be hurt." Said Silver, looking at the screen.

Onyx approached them and both women turned to the new arrival. "You are early." Mentioned Glynda. "And where is Cyane?"

Onyx shrugged. "I decided to be here before it starts. And Cyane is doing last minute checks on her weapons and Dust."

Silver raised an eyebrow. "Who's Cyane?"

"My partner." Answered Onyx. "She helps me with security here and loves to fight with the first years when it's the first combat class. She calls it 'Welcoming beat down', though I have my doubts about the 'welcoming' part."

"A team of huntsmen is no joke." Said Silver. "She either gets beaten herself or is strong enough to beat a team, even if they still students."

Onyx chuckled. "I am more worried about the team that she chooses to fight. They are in for a really bad experience."

"Hell yeah, they are!" The three of them turned to see Cyane standing in the entrance to the class. "Hey, Glynda!" She said as she approached. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine, thank you." She answered. "I suppose you are still planning on fighting one of the new teams."

"You bet. I'll try not to destroy too much of the arena. Emphasis on 'try'" She said with a smile.

Glynda shook her head but couldn't hide a smile completely. "So," said Silver, focusing on the other Faunus in the room, "you are Cyane. You don't look like you could beat a team."

Cyane looked at her and waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, I assure you I can do it. You can ask team CFVY if you want proof of it. It was the first team I ever beat, though they weren't as coordinated as they are now."

While she talked, Silver studied her closely. "I really hope you have those extra legs for more than just showing of a cool coat. If not, even my little sister could stomp you under her boot, little spider." She said with an evil grin.

Cyane raised an eyebrow and turned to Onyx, ignoring Silver. "Is she the new assistant?" He nodded. "Meh. I give her a 6 out of 10 as much. She looks like she couldn't decide whether to wear either full armor or just pants and jacket. Even you look better than her, metal-head." She pointed to the girl, who wore light pieces of armor on her arms, legs and chest over a dark blue hoodie and long jeans. A skin suit covered her under the rest of the clothes and armor.

Silver looked at her unimpressed. "Fashion won't win you a fight."

"No." She answered. "But _when_ I win," she twirled around, her coat following, "I'll look good doing it." She smiled and moved to one of the sides of the arena, just as the students started piling in.

Silver looked at Onyx. "She is rather rude. She reminds me somewhat of my sister."

"You did begin by doubting her abilities." Answered the knight. "And I assure you, she will surpass your expectations in combat."

She shrugged. "If you say so." She turned around, looking towards the students that flooded into the room. There, she spotted her sister, and waved at her. Lena noticed her older sister and waved back with a bright smile before returning to the talk she was having with Rebecca. "I've seen hunters from Beacon and many of them are overconfident bastards that rely too much on their over-the-top mechashift weapons."

Onyx chuckled darkly, making Silver turn to look at him. "There lies the difference, Silver. Overconfident? Maybe a little bit. But she was not trained by the staff here." He started moving outside of the arena. "She is trained by _me_."

Silver raised an eyebrow, somewhat confused at the faith both teachers had on the girl. She turned to look at said Faunus. To her surprise, she was just standing there, with a warm smile and an innocent pose. But then she noted her eyes. They had the same glint that her eyes had when she toyed with her opponents.

The students sat around the arena, some excited, others nervous. After they all took their places, the only one standing in the arena was Cyane, humming to herself. Glynda cleared her throat and silenced the class. "Welcome to your first combat class, students." She begun. "These classes will take place in this room unless I say otherwise. You are to attend here on Tuesdays and Thursdays from now on, this being the last class of the day."

"While not everyone will participate everyday, your weapons and combat clothes or armor must be ready if you are called." She continued. "Failing to do so or failing to attend class will be noted and will affect your grade. You are all attending one of the most important academies that train huntsmen and huntresses. Let me remind you that you are expected to behave accordingly."

"After each combat, I will analyze the fight and tell you ways in which you can improve, both individually and as a team. While your victories will be noted in your grade, participation and improvement throughout the year will be the most important factors in this class. And for those who are about to ask, yes, there will be combat exams." A collective groan coming from the students showed their opinion. "Silence. Finally, fights will be 1v1, 2v2 or 4v4. While you will most commonly be paired with your teammates, in some classes you will learn to work with other classmates. The matches will continue until one of the sides yields, hits 15% on their Aura or falls off the arena."

While the class erupted in whispers and low voices, Onyx called their attention. "Enough." Everyone looked at him, silence getting hold of the class once more. "Today, though, you are going to face a special trial. Cyane here," he pointed at the spider girl, who waved happily, "will choose a team to fight by herself." The class erupted in whispers again, though they were silenced when Onyx spoke again. "If that team manages to defeat Cyane, they will pass this first semester completely. No combats, no exams. Though they will still have to attend the classes and they still can volunteer for fights." This time, the voices of the students became louder, making almost impossible for Onyx to be heard.

The only ones that noted the patience of the knight wearing thin were Cyane and Glynda, who took a step back. Onyx raised his hand and concentrated his will on his pyromancy. A trail of fire moved just above him and started forming a massive orb of fire. The students became more and more silent as the orb grew in size, looking like a downscaled sun. Drops of fire and lava landed on the arena floor, the light from the orb almost blinding. Onyx stopped his pyromancy and looked at the students, a giant fireball now backing up his anger. When he made sure everyone was silent, he waved his hand to the side and the orb dissipated in a matter of seconds, returning the normality to the class.

"Good. Now that I have your attention again, apart from that fight, a single student or a pair can challenge her before that, but at your own risk." He turned to look at Cyane. "Is that alright to you?"

"Um, sure." She looked confused, but happy nonetheless. "Though a little warning next time would be-"

"I'll fight her!" Came a voice from the stands. Everyone turned to see Cardin smiling confidently, laid back with his hands behind his head. "Counting on that the little girl doesn't go crying to her knight for protecting her."

Onyx and Glynda were about to reprimand him, albeit for different reasons, when Cyane spoke. "Don't worry. I don't need to." Her smile was sweet and welcoming, but Onyx knew what she was planning, so he let her do as she pleased.

* * *

After Cardin had changed into his combat attire and picked up his mace, both combatants stepped into the arena. Cyane kept her warm smile while Cardin matched it with an evil one. Meanwhile, on the stands, the students talked and whispered. "I have all my bets on spider girl."

Blake turned to her partner. "I wouldn't be so sure. She seems strong but Cardin can deal a lot of damage." She looked at Cyane with some fear due to their first meeting.

"I agree with Blake." Said Weiss. "While he is just a brute during combat, his strength is undeniable. One single hit could wipe out a great part of her Aura."

"You guys haven't fought her." Retorted Yang. "She managed to beat me in a single attack. Although, I did fought her after another fight. She somehow… channeled _my own Aura_ against me. What do you think, Ruby?" She turned to her sister. "Um.. Rubes?"

Said red reaper was completely absorbed by the oncoming fight. Before Yang could bring her sister's attention to her, Glynda stepped to the console and brought up the two Aura meters. "Are both fighters ready?" Cyane nodded with happiness while Cardin grunted in affirmation, reading his mace.

"3.."

Cardin cracked his neck as he addressed his opponent. "I'm going to stomp you like the bug you are, freak." His smile turned feral while Cyane kept looking at him as if he hadn't said a thing. He raised an eyebrow. "What is it? Are you scared, little freak?"

"2…"

Cyane closed her eyes and breathed deeply once. Silver kept her eyes on the stage, interested in the outcome of the battle. The students talked quietly between one another, placing bets and trying to predict the result. Onyx only hoped the poor boy learned not to disrespect the Faunus, specially Cyane, for his own good.

"1.."

Cyane opened her eyes and her smile turned into one of pure cruelty, barring far too many teeth. She reached for her weapon in her back and waited for the signal. She turned to look at Cardin, her smile almost making him step back.

"I'm gonna shove that mace up your-"

"Begin!"

Cardin rushed forward in a vertical strike. He brought it down on the girl, only for her to side step, disappearing thanks to her ring. He continued his charge and swung to where Cyane now stood. She jumped over the swing and landed a few feet away from the boy, her smile now more calm, but cruel nonetheless. He charged again with a battle cry, hoping to crush the Faunus in a single move. Reality couldn't be more different, as Cyane dashed forward in the last second, dodging his strike and appearing right behind the boy. She turned around and kicked him in the back, activating the Gravity Dust in her boots to push him even further away.

He tumbled off a few meters, recovering and turning his face in one of pure anger. She stood on the center of the arena and waved at him. He charged again and Cyane sighed in disappointment. He swung right for her head in an horizontal attack. Cyane bent backwards and landed her hands and upper spider legs on the floor, boosting herself towards Cardin, her feet colliding with his chest and sending him flying backwards, loosing the grip on his weapon. Before he stood up, Cyane picked the mace, the head of it on the ground as she rested both arms on it without a care. "You know," she said as Cardin glared daggers at her, "someone might think that you are compensating for something with a weapon so big."

"Grrraaah!" Cardin launched himself towards Cyane. He tried to punch her, only for her to raise her left hand and catch the punch without effort. When he attempted to pull his arm back, Cyane held him and activated her Semblance, draining his Aura into hers. He grunted in pain as his Aura drained and tried to punch her with his other hand, but Cyane acted quicker, grabbing the mace and kicking it upwards, landing the head right on his family jewels. His eyes shot out and a faint whine left his lips as Cyane let him fall and crutched his damaged parts. Sounds of pain and understanding came from some of the students.

Cyane stepped away and took a look at the mace in her hands, back facing the downed man. She kept examining the weapon even as Cardin slowly recovered from the attack. "I'm going to smash your face, you bitch!"

Cyane didn't pay him any mind until he readied himself to charge again. "While I can appreciate a weapon of brute strength, yours is simply lacking." He screamed and charged at her again. "But it will do." She twirled around before he could reach her, bringing the mace with her and charging it with the stolen Aura. The impact was of epic proportions, as was the explosion that accompanied it. Onyx was glad she aimed for his arm and midsection when he heard the sickening _'crack'_ of that same arm, guessing that if she had aimed for the head, the idiot would have been killed.

He landed on his side and started clutching his arm. His Aura was still up, but only at 17%. She stepped closer to the boy and kicked him to face upwards. She stepped on his broken arm and he screamed, trying to pry her foot off without success. "You can call me freak," she twisted her feet, more screams coming from the boy, "you can call me bitch," she pressed her feet, more _'cracks'_ coming alongside the screams, "but _nobody_ calls me little, understood?" Cardin nodded in pain. "Good. Now, do you yield?"

Cardin grunted. "I-I yield! I yield!" she released his arm and dropped the mace by his side.

Glynda sighed. "Please, would Mr. Winchester's teammates take him to the infirmary?" She turned to the girl, who was now bowing to an awestruck class. "And Ms. Mika, please, try not to harm the students to such a degree."

"But he called me little! Why!? I'm taller than many of them." She answered while pouting.

Onyx facepalmed. "Out of all the insults…" He sighed and looked at Silver, who was with her mouth wide open. "Close your mouth, flies may get in if not."

She glared at the knight but then smiled. "Oh, I've changed my mind. I like her."

Team RWBY was staring at the result of the fight, all of the members completely dumbfounded. "She hit me hard when we fought, but… damn" Said Yang, as she recovered.

"She toyed with him since the beginning." Mentioned Weiss. "Well, while it was still Cardin, the fight didn't take more than a minute."

"And she was in complete control since the beginning." Remarked Blake. "Fighting against her is a scary thought."

"That… was… AWESOME!" Screamed Ruby. The rest of her team, JNPR and LSRN looked at her. "Heh, heh. Well, I mean, she did beat him in only a few hits, not even using her own weapon, which I was honestly hoping to see in action, but she kicked his ass with his mace and without taking a hit! Oh, I can wait for Onyx to train with me!"

"She does seem quite… powerful." Mentioned Pyrrha. "I don't know if our team could face her."

"Would team JNPR ready themselves for the next fight?" Called Glynda.

Everyone looked at Pyrrha while she smiled and laughed nervously. "I'm… sorry?"

Jaune sighed. "It's not your fault, Pyrrha. But don't worry!" He said. "There's four of us and only one of her. That's gotta count for something… right?" None of them looked too convinced.

* * *

The four of them stepped into the ring. Cyane smiled. "Don't worry! Cardin was a jerk, so he got what he deserved, but you seem like nice people, so I won't hurt you as much."

"Um.. thanks?" Said Jaune.

Cyane smiled and nodded to Glynda. She asked the team, to which all of them nodded. She readied the arena and all of them stepped onto their positions.

"3.."

Ren readied his weapons and remained with a calm face. Nora smiled and transformed Manghild into hammer form. "I loved your performance with Cardin. We have to go and break some jerks legs sometime!"

"2…"

"Aw, thank you, I do my best." While her opponent talked, Pyrrha raised her shield and kept a watchful but readied stance. Juane, on the other hand, tried to mimic Pyrrha, adopting a stance that didn't completely fit his bigger shield and left many more openings than her partner's. "And I would love to hang out with you guys. After I beat you."

"1…"

Cyane turned her smile into and feral grin and grasped her weapon. _'What is your plan?'_ Asked Ember, interested in the fight. _'You can beat the blonde knight with your eyes closed, but the Spartan may be a challenge on her own.'_

She eyed her opponents and answered. _'The blonde, the ninja, the hammer girl, the Spartan.'_

"Begin!"

' _In that same order.'_

She charged at blinding speeds right for Jaune, and before anyone could react, she swatted away his shield and punched him straight in the face, sending the blonde boy flying. Pyrrha attempted to catch her with an attack, but Cyane disappeared from sight as she dodged and returned to attack Jaune. Before he got up, Cyane landed her palm in his face and activated her Semblance.

To her surprise, the boy had an immense amount of Aura. She barely heard the hammer that tried to smash her away from Jaune, and she barely dodged it, stepping off the boy and finding herself between Pyrrha and Ren. She nonetheless smiled. _'Change of plans.'_ She pulled out her weapon and parried an attack from Miló with Entropy. Her shield extended and blocked the fire from Ren's StormFlower. She slipped from a slash from Pyrrha and appeared behind the girl. She attacked Pyrrha, who used both weapons to block her strike.

Juane was helped to his feet by Nora. "We need to distract her." Said Jaune, as Cyane fought both Pyrrha and Ren. "Nora, get her away from them!"

"You've got it, Jaune!" She readied her grenade launcher and aimed at Cyane. The spider Faunus noticed and jumped away from the barrage of grenades. While Nora kept her away, Jaune coordinated Pyrrha and Ren to flank her by the sides. They moved to attack, only for Cyane to do what none of them expected: she charged her shield with her Semblance and pushed through the remaining grenades. She reached Nora and blocked a strike from the girl's hammer. She pushed the hammer aside with her shield and slashed at her in her midsection.

Before she could continue, Ren brought his weapons on her and forced her to retreat, away from the approaching Pyrrha. She landed close to Jaune, who slashed clumsily at her. Cyane jumped in a backflip and landed her hands and upper spider legs on the boy's shoulders, her human legs on his back, and pushed him to the ground, draining his Aura. She managed to block a flying shield at the last second and grabbed the boy, using her Aura to empower herself and launch him at his teammates while he screamed.

Pyrrha and Ren dodged their flying partner, letting Nora catch him with ease. Ren turned to his opponent only to see her right in front of him. He tried to block her shield with his weapons, the main spike almost reaching his face. He only noticed the cannons pointing at him just as they fired a powerful load of Fire Dust, charged with her Semblance. The ninja went flying backwards, his Aura almost down for the count.

"Ren!" Nora screamed and directed her anger at the spider Faunus, charging with her hammer at her.

"Nora, wait!" Jaune's shout fell on deaf ears as she kept moving forward. "Damn it! Pyrrha, go help her!" The red haired girl nodded and moved to engage while Jaune tried to assist his friend on the ground.

Cyane smiled evilly and ran away from Nora, closer to the arena's edge. She stopped close to it and waited for her to strike, having positioned Nora between her and the Spartan, blocking the angle of her shots. Nora jumped and brought her hammer down on Cyane, who charged her shield and prepared to transform it. The strike sent shockwaves around Cyane and cracks under her feet formed from the impact. Before Nora could regain her footing, she transformed her weapon into Balance in a swift turn, bringing the girl and her hammer to the side before charging her weapon again and striking at her back.

A loud buzzer signaled the elimination of the hammer girl by ring out. Before Cyane could celebrate, she found herself engaged in close combat with Pyrrha, the Spartan having the advantage due to her proximity and the size of the combined weapon of Cyane. She managed to land a few hits before the Faunus vaulted over her and divided her weapon again. She started moving towards the two boys of team JNPR while firing back at Pyrrha, forcing her to take cover behind her shield.

She reached Jaune and Ren, the latter still half-blinded from the explosion. Instead of attacking the blonde again, she simply moved under his guard and made him trip and fall with her sword, running past him when he hit the ground. Pyrrha threw her shield and Cyane dodged, reaching Ren, that even blinded, managed to hold Cyane off for a few seconds until Pyrrha helped Jaune up and reached both of them. Seeing the dire situation she was in, Cyane charged Harmony and impacted the ground in a shockwave, sending away her two attackers and the remaining opponent. Before they landed, she jumped towards Ren and grabbed his ankle, bringing him to the ground with all her strength and extracting his remaining Aura until the buzzer sounded a couple of seconds later.

She turned to the two remaining members of the team, who rose from the ground and readied themselves for the next skirmish. Instead, Cyane moved her Aura to her legs and ran around them, firing several shots at the ground that started spilling black smoke from the point of impact, covering the entire arena in a few seconds. Jaune and Pyrrha moved back-to-back, trying to cover all possible angles. Cyane darted around, laughing softly and allowing them only to see an few shadows and shapes, making Pyrrha tense and creeping Jaune to the core. "Jaune, duck!" The boy did as told and a wave of magnetic energy covered the field in an attempt from Pyrrha to catch their assailant.

To her surprise, her Semblance didn't caught anything in the smoke. A second later, the smoke started dissipating and she could notice the lack of her enemy as the smoke cleared slowly from view. She took note of a third shadow above them far too late, as Cyane dropped from the ceiling and smashed Jaune on the ground with her greataxe, sending Pyrrha skidding away a few feet from the wave and draining Jaune's remaining Aura. At the sound of the buzzer, Pyrrha and Cyane charged at each other.

The ensuing duel would get ingrained in the minds of the students for the coming months. Pyrrha Nikos, the 4 times Mistralian champion, the so called 'Invincible Girl', against Cyane Mika, the right hand and trainee of the Black Knight, the Mischievous Spider. While the Spartan kept the Spider quick on her toes and guarded all the time, Cyane punished the slightest mistake and used her greater sized shield to her advantage. It would seem that they were at a stalemate, with Pyrrha parrying and transforming her weapon constantly and Cyane blocking and dealing heavy but quick blows.

Pyrrha took the chance, and in one attack, activated her Semblance and pushed Cyane just a tad bit too far, using the opening to strike right in the other girl's chest. Cyane took the blow and allowed it to push her away from her opponent, reassessing the situation. Pyrrha was faster than her, but she still had more Aura and could deal a great amount of damage in a single blow. She needed a way to get through her Semblance and-

An idea came to her mind. She couldn't go through her Semblance, but she didn't need to. She just needed to strike hard enough.

Cyane charged back at Pyrrha., returning to their previous dance. This time, though, Cyane waited for Pyrrha to strike at her. When a slash came her way, instead pf blocking or parrying, she let it move in, making a turn while she dodged. Pyrrha had seen her do this before, so she pivoted and brought her blade around…

Or would have, if it wasn't because her right foot was completely covered in ice. Cyane moved in during her short confusion, but this time, she charged the attack and aimed for Miló, close to Pyrrha's hand. The attack exploded with energy on impact and threw the short sword away. Before Pyrrha could call it back, Cyane tried the same with her shield, forcing the Spartan to use both hands to keep hold of her last remaining weapon. Cyane kept pushing Pyrrha down, while she tried to hold her ground.

Waiting for the right moment, Cyane stopped pushing, making Pyrrha move upwards while she dodged low, twirling her coat and freezing her other foot in an uncomfortable position. Cyane moved away and charged her weapons to the limit while Pyrrha tried to break free. She combined her weapons when Pyrrha managed to retrieve her sword, but it was too late. Cyane swung her weapon horizontally in front lf her, breaking Pyrrha's guard, and bringing the axe back before bringing it down on Pyrrha. The Spartan tried moving away the weapon with her Semblance, but only managed to reduce the impact slightly.

The following explosion brought up several craters right at Pyrrha's feet, hitting her again and shattering her Aura completely. When the smoke cleared, Cyane was breathing heavily, Harmony stuck on the floor and supporting it's wielder partially. Further away laid Pyrrha, being flung away from the attack. Cyane took a look at the screen and noticed her Aura was at 36% and Pyrrha's was completely gone. She went wide eyed and ran to the downed girl, not knowing if she had hit her after breaking her Aura.

She kneeled close to the girl. "Are you alright? I didn't hit you too hard, did I?"

Pyrrha coughed and seated on the ground. "I'm fine. I think…" She tried to rise from the ground, only to stumble and almost fall, if it wasn't for Cyane catching her. "Maybe not so fine." She laughed softly.

"I did hit you rather hard. Sorry, I may have gone a little overkill." While the two spoke, the rest of the team approached them.

Glynda reached them soon after. "Are the rest of you alright?" The remaining of the team nodded while they helped Pyrrha. "Let me see." She looked at her leg and nodded. "Probably fractured. Her Aura should heal it when it recovers, but take her to the infirmary nonetheless."

"I'm sorry I ended up hurting you. I wouldn't mind a rematch, if you are up for it." Said Cyane, smiling sheepishly.

"It's alright." Said Pyrrha, smiling. "And I would love to. But I rather speak with the doctor first."

Cyane nodded. "You are a pretty swell team. A little more work and you'll all be in my level in no time."

Ren bowed slightly. "Thank you. Your power is impressive."

"Yeah! I can't wait to go break legs and eat pancakes with you!" Both girls high fived before Nora and Ren helped Pyrrha reach the infirmary.

"Well, if we ever do a rematch, please don't throw me at my friends." Said Jaune.

"No promises." She decided not to mention his lack of fighting skill, though he tried his best at keeping the team coordinated. He wasn't a great fighter, but he did have good ideas and strategies.

She approached Onyx and smiled at him. "Well done, Cyane. I think you have gained quite the fan base." He said, pointing at the stands, were the students stood in awe at the fight they just witnessed.

Glynda moved and with a few flicks of her wand, the arena was reformed. "Now, we still have time for a couple of fights. The system will be picking the teams randomly, so be ready."

Cyane climbed to Onyx's shoulder and, before they left, Silver addressed her. "I take what I said back. You do know how to use those extra legs. And… I like your style."

Cyane stood in silence for a moment before smiling back. "Now you've earned 8 out of 10. I need to see you fight to give you the other two."

Silver shrugged. "Who knows?" She turned around and walked back to Glynda. "You may get to see me fight soon."

"You two can talk about that." Said Onyx. "But, if you excuse me, I have to fill in some papers with the name of the students with broken bones and pride. Good day." He walked out of the classroom, Cyane waving back as they left.

* * *

 **A.N.: if someone asks, I'm not going to do a Halloween special. I already have enough things taking my time, though if I have time in winter, I may do a Christmas special. Who knows? At any rate, I'm sorry if the ending is somewhat weak, but I tried to finish as soon as possible for you to have the chapter.**

 **Next time, on The Knight of the Faded Fire, Onyx finds a clue about some people on his list while Platinum and Michael investigate in Vale.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter, even if it was late. Happy Halloween, and remember to sing 'Spooky Scary Skeletons' all night long. That, or 'This is Halloween', both are equally good.**

 **Don't forget to leave a review.**

 **Have a great (and spooky) day!**


	18. Chapter XIV

**A.N.: hello there! New chapter for all of you. I hope you enjoy this one, more centered on Platinum and Michael than on Onyx.**

 **So I've just watched the first episode of V6 and holly hell, am I hyped! I won't spoil anything, but you already have the 1** **st** **episode free for all in RT's website. So if you haven't seen it yet, go and do so. I seriously can't wait for the next one, seeing as how I don't have FIRST membership. I'll let you guys know when I watch them but I won't spoil them, nor do I want to see spoilers here if you are a FIRST member.**

 **Another thing that I have seen is that many people in this page choose music during a fight in their stories. Do you want me to do that? If you have any recommendations for any character, I welcome the suggestions. For the OC creators, if you have any that you think fits your character, let me know.**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, Dark souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter XIV**

 **Clues to a secret**

Platinum was about to shoot himself. He had contacted almost everyone he knew in order to gather some information on the people Onyx had given him. The problem was that he only had one name, that he didn't even knew if it was the real one, and two drawn faces. He admitted, though, that Onyx had a very good memory and the guy at the police station had done a great work with the drawings. Luckily, being a hunter had its advantages, like being able to request aid from the police like that with them not asking questions.

While he went through the numbers and phone calls, he mused if huntsmen and huntresses did have too much power over normal law enforcement. In Atlas, the military worked under the hunters, Specialists being closer to the military but with the strength of hunters. Mistral basically didn't mind hunters doing what they pleased as long as the ones in power weren't affected, and on Vacuo, everyone lived by the law of the strength, so huntsmen were usually atop of the metaphorical food chain.

Vale tried to keep hunters away from the main city unless completely necessary, except students from Beacon, reducing the influence they had over the people and their opinions. Unluckily for the Council, smaller cities or towns aside from the main city, like the island of Patch, were far more influenced by them. This was the complete opposite from Mistral, which opted for their stronger hunters to stay closer to the main city, leaving many villages to their own luck. Atlas kept control by the use of their huntsmen and huntresses and their military, with the headquarters of the hunters and Specialists in the academy. Vacuo… well, the only real institution of authority apart from the Council was Shade academy, so it wasn't hard to guess the amount of influence they had.

Back in reality, Plat sighed as his contact ended the call, leaving him without the information he wanted. He had been doing this for a couple of days now, trying to pull on favors and old friendships to find anything about the people Onyx had mentioned. So far, he had managed to find close to nothing about the first man, the scorpion Faunus. On the other man, though, he had heard about a professional doctor, expert in prosthetics, being kidnapped after the fight Onyx had with them. He had also found out that the same doctor was found dead a few days later, leaving nothing to trace back to his assailants.

What he _had_ managed to find was information about the White Fang. A friend of his in the Atlas Military had gathered some classified info in some of the White Fang safe houses and camps they had managed to capture and destroy. It took some convincing, but being able to say that you are backed by the SDC, even if in this case was a lie, has a lot of weight, especially in Atlas. The files consisted on transmissions between different cells, nothing of much importance for Atlas, but a few talked about how the main cell at Vale had stopped contact and anyone sent to contact them didn't return.

The files marked some of the places the White Fang used in Vale. Seeing as how the cell was still active, Platinum guessed that they had gone rogue. He informed Onyx and Michael, and the three agreed to talk about it after the classes. He seriously appreciated the link Ember hold between them, it made communication so much easier.

* * *

A few minutes after the last class ended, Onyx called them both back to his office. The owl Faunus arrived soon after, finding Onyx in the middle of some paperwork and Cyane on a small pillow fort on the floor, playing on her scroll. "Good afternoon." He greeted. Onyx, without his helmet, smiled and pointed to one of the chairs at the other side of the desk. The girl waved her hand weakly. "You look tired. Hard day?" He said to Cyane.

Cyane smiled back at him. "I'm tired but I'm fine. Having to fight an entire team leaves you like this, especially if you use a lot of Aura. I'll be better in a couple of hours."

"You fought a team?" She nodded. "Wow. Seeing as how you are here and not in the infirmary, I'm guessing that you won?"

"Yeah, but, man did they put up a fight!" She said, throwing her hands in the air. "It was fun, though. Team JNPR packs a punch, especially Pyrrha. I can't wait to fight the rest of the teams."

Platinum chuckled. "I'm afraid that I will cheer for Weiss and her team if you fight them. I hope that's not a problem."

"Nah. Suit yourself."

He turned to Onyx, who looked not too pleased at the work in front of him. "When is Michael coming?"

Onyx answered without lifting his face of his work. "He said that he had to finish some small problems with his robots. He will arrive when he is finished."

A few minutes later, mumbled voices could be heard from the hall. Onyx had already finished with his work and raised an eyebrow at the sound. The voices grew closer, sounding like they were arguing. Onyx looked at Platinum, who shrugged. Before anyone could go check, the door busted open, one of the AKs of Messingen stumbling in, the other right behind. "Don't push me!" Shouted the first one. "What if someone was standing behind the door, you dumbass!"

Gold laughed. "You are right. With your body weight, you could have crushed someone." Said the robot with a smug tone.

Copper slowly walked up to him, her arm turning into a blade and pointing it at his neck. "Did you just call me fat?"

Gold transformed his other arm in a modified machine gun and pointed it at the stomach of Copper. "What if I did? Do you have a problem?"

Before the arguing escalated into a fight between to heavily modified killing machines, Michael punched both on the head, making them let out noises of pain and retract their weapons. "It's at these moments that I remember why I installed pain receptors on both of you." The metal that he had used to punch both robots melted back into his pockets. "If you start fighting again, I will extract the P.L.I. and only plug them in computers! Understood?"

At the threat, both AKs stood still and nodded quickly. "We get it, doc! Please don't unplug us!"

The doctor sighed and ordered them to stand outside of the door and keep guard. "I swear, they can solve any mathematical formula before almost any human or Faunus alive, but they keep behaving like children sometimes!" He sat on the chair beside Plat and rubbed his templates.

"I don't know much about machines, but I'm guessing you can't change that?" Asked Platinum.

"It's the personality they have formed themselves. It would be like wiping a person clean of everything that makes them themselves. They may be troublesome sometimes, but they are invaluable to me, just as their personalities are to them." He turned to look at the door for a moment. "I created them, it's my job to make sure they don't get destroyed or wiped."

"Do they know about our mission?" Asked Onyx. "They seem reliable, but I rather not get discovered by Salem if someone hacks them."

Michael waved his hand dismissively. "For someone to hack them, they would need to do so physically, as they are not in any network. And don't worry, they only know that we are working together, nothing more. They are curious, but they know when to ask and when not to. I don't like secrets, but they won't betray me and I understand the dangers of our group."

"As long as you are sure." Said Onyx. "Now that we are all here," he turned to Platinum, "you said you had some information for us."

Platinum nodded. "Yes. I have been talking with my contacts, and I'm afraid to say that I haven't managed to get anything about those two that attacked you. I did find that, after your encounter, a prosthetics expert was kidnaped and found dead a few days later. My guess is that the man you crippled has got his arm back."

Onyx hummed. "In my fight with Salem, she mentioned that he had indeed gotten it back, but, as you can guess, I wasn't going to believe anything she said without checking it first."

"Seems reasonable." Affirmed Plat. "Anyway, while I didn't manage to find much information on those two, I did come across something interesting about the White Fang, more specifically, the branch here on Vale."

Onyx leaned in closer, his hands crossed under his chin, brow furrowed. "I'm listening." Cyane looked up from her seat, attention completely focused on Plat.

"Recently, a new taskforce in Atlas has managed to almost wipe out the heads and main forces of the White Fang there. Thanks to that, they have managed to recover quite the amount of Intel on the organization, and thanks to an old friend, I have got my hands on some of that info. Most of them are transmissions between the headquarters of the WF in Menagerie and the branch here in Vale. The problem lies in that they become one sided a few days before the initiation here at Beacon took place." He pulled out his scroll and opened it on the table. Onyx made a mental note to himself to ask for a table like the one Ozpin had, in order to project things like this.

"Several messages were sent to the branch, at first some new orders or objectives, but after failure to respond, the headquarters sent some of their own to investigate. None returned, as far as we know. This has led me to believe that the branch has gone rogue, seeing as how they are still performing some attacks on Dust shops, or at least is believed to be them."

While Onyx took a second look to the info with Cyane, Michael spoke. "As far as I'm aware, rights for the Faunus here at Vale at a very good state. Could it be possible that the branch was convinced to be disbanded or divided?"

Platinum shook his head. "Ever since Sienna Khan took hold of the White Fang, their actions have turned completely violent. And while Vale has rights for the Faunus that Atlas lacks, they still get discriminated and pushed around. Though, in my opinion, the White Fang will attack anything with the Schnee logo in it, from the company itself to whoever deals with them, even if it is in a minimal scale."

Onyx left the scroll in the table. "So, you believe the cell has separated itself from the organization itself. Why?"

Plat shrugged. "I don't know. Since there was no communication between the cell and other branches after whatever happened, I have no information on that."

Onyx nodded. "Do we know who leads this cell?"

Platinum tapped through some of the folders in his scroll. "Where is it… Ah! Here." He passed the scroll back to Onyx. "A Faunus named Adam Taurus, though some of the mails and messages call him The Bull or The Beast, I'm guessing as a sort of codename." Explained the owl Faunus. "He is one of the more extremist members in the organization, but as far as the Intel goes, he has remained completely loyal to the White Fang until now."

Onyx took a look at the profile and grimaced when he looked at the picture that accompanied it. It was taken in low quality, but he could clearly see the same person that managed to break his armor during the assault to Tealle. The image showed him giving orders to a group of Faunus in an alleyway. "I know him." Spoke Onyx, getting everyone's attention. "He was present during the attack to the native town of Cyane, and he managed to break my armor with his Semblance. He was quite strong back then, and I doubt someone like him has stopped growing in power this last 5 years."

"Will he be a threat to any of us?" Asked Michael.

"To me, no. And I doubt he could beat the two of you, especially if you are together, but be careful with his Semblance nonetheless. As for you, Cyane," he looked at her, "it would be better if you stayed away. You may be able to beat him, but one slice of that attack can cut you in half."

"I can protect myself, thank you very much." Pouted Cyane. "But I'll try to be careful if I encounter him."

Onyx nodded. "This is troubling, gentlemen. We need to know what is going on with the White Fang in Vale. I don't know why, but I have the nagging feeling that a puppet of Salem may be behind this."

"Whatever the case, I think we should investigate." Said Michael. "If we deal with the White Fang, we can get rid of a problem, whether is related to our enemy or not, and then focus our efforts in one front only."

"I agree." Answered Onyx, while Platinum nodded. "As for you, doctor, have you managed to find something that might help us? You said you were making a list with despicable characters in the scientific circles of Atlas."

"I sure did, my friend." He picked his scroll from his pocket. "The list is filled with many scientists who were prohibited to experiment and have resentment towards Atlas or humanity and the Faunus in general, blaming them for 'not seeing their perspective' or something like that. The reasons are varied, but most of them got banished from the community due to lack of morals or for their creations being considered a danger to Remnant itself. I excluded the ones recruited by the Black Ops of Atlas or the ones that work undercover for other kingdoms."

While Onyx went through the list, Plat discussed with Michael. "I know the SDC can contract… controversial working partners, but does really Atlas keep hold of those scientists even if they have been prohibited to experiment?"

"If they see value in them, then yes. Although cases of that occurring have almost stopped recently. All of this is done in secrecy, of course, but most members of my community are wide aware of it." He sighed. "The problem is that we can't do anything: the government, and usually the military, protects them."

Onyx hummed as he finished reading the list, with the last name being some Arthur Watts. "I expected it to be longer. There are still many of them, but I thought there would be more."

"Be happy that there isn't. Luckily for us, back at Atlas, people tend to respect the law, especially in what refers to R&D, seeing as how they can be stripped of all of their rights and funds for their researches." Answered Michael.

Onyx handed back the scroll. "In any case, we need to find more information on… all of this. Salem, her lackeys, their connections and influence…" He sighed. "Truly, a daunting task."

Cyane patted him in the shoulder, making him turn to her. "Don't worry. We'll find a way." She smiled.

He smiled back, but Platinum intervened before he could talk. "Why don't you ask Ozpin? He may have some information about them."

Onyx snorted. "Of course he does. I'll try, but as much as we work together, he doesn't like my methods. He may not want to say anything."

"Whatever you can get will prove useful." Remarked Messingen. "In the meantime, I think Platinum and I can go down to Vale to investigate what has been going on with the White Fang."

"I agree." Said Platinum. "The files contained some information about safe houses and camps. We can't do much with the latter, seeing as how they are almost always on the move, but maybe we can find something on their safe houses."

"Then it's settled." Onyx rose from his seat and strapped his helmet. "We'll be in Beacon after we speak with Ozpin. If anything happens, call us."

* * *

Ozpin sat in his office, looking intently at the data in the screen of his table. He sighed and brought both of his hands to his face, closing his eyes. He tried to relieve his tired state by taking a drink from the coffee in his mug, only to find it cold already. He looked at the time and, upon realizing the hour, leaned back on his seat and sighed again.

At that moment, the doors of the elevator to his office opened and the two guests strode in. "Hello, Ozpin." Greeted Onyx.

Before he could answer back, Cyane moved quickly to his side, putting a new mug filled with hot coffee in it on the table by his side. "Glynda told us to bring you this. She says you have been up here all morning without rest." She picked the other mug and spilled its content into the trash can. "We know you are used to this, but Glynda would kill us if we didn't do as she said. And only Onyx can come back from the dead."

Ozpin smiled and chuckled softly. "Thank you, Miss Mika." He drank for a couple of seconds from the mug and smiled back. "With this kind of approach, I may just forgive the broken arm from one of my students."

"I'm not going to apologize." She said, crossing her arms and looking away. "He fucking deserved it!"

He shook his head and looked to Onyx. "Anyway, what brings you here?"

Onyx took a seat, Cyane following beside him. "We are going to conduct an investigation on the White Fang of Vale. We came here to inform you," Onyx cut him off before he could reply, "and to promise that it will be within legal limits."

Cyane shook her head and addressed the Headmaster. "What he means is that we won't get caught if we do something outside 'legal means'."

"I hope you are right, Miss Mika." He looked back at the screen. "I already have enough problems as it is."

Onyx looked at the screen. "You sound troubled. What is it?"

Ozpin sighed and started explaining. "Recently, villages out in the wild have been destroyed by the Grimm in a very short period of time. Most of the villages were poorly defended and out of reach of any hunters in the zone, but the problem is that, within the survivors statements, I have found a pattern." Stated the Headmaster.

"What kind of pattern?" Asked Onyx.

He tapped at the console in his table and map of Sanus appeared, closing in to Vale's territory. "The first attacks occurred away from the main city, and the towns were small and lacking in huntsmen. The problem was that, at first, reports showed the towns and villages falling in a _single night_ , without any previous attacks or reasons for the Grimm to be attracted to them." Some red lights appeared on the map. "No survivors were found from these first attacks, and all the Grimm left the site of the fight shortly after." More lights appeared in the map, signaling more towns. "Later, bigger towns suffered the same kind of attack, but this time, some people managed to survive the attacks. There were some discrepancies between them, but all of them state more or less the same: one night, the huntsman of the town, if there is one, goes missing alongside the most important members of their community, like mayors or leaders of the town's militia. A few hours later, their bodies are found on the center of the town or in a very populated area, completely mangled and destroyed beyond recognition. As you can guess, this sparks fear and negative emotions, attracting every Grimm in the area."

More dots appeared at the screen, and it was here that Onyx and Cyane realized that the pattern of destroyed towns moved around Vale, starting on one side of the coast, and moving around the city to the other side. "And more recently, even bigger and better defended towns suffered the same pattern, only this time, their weapons, Dust supplies and defenses were sabotaged. The process then repeats itself, the bodies of the high echelons of the town found and causing mass panic, _all in the same night_. For now, 9 settlements have fallen to this type of attack, and out of the thousands of people in all of them, only around 1000 survivors were found in total."

Onyx and Cyane were taken back by the statement. "Who could have done something like this?" Asked the girl.

"I don't know." Answered Ozpin. "There are no coincidences between people entering or leaving the towns between attacks, but I am even more worried by some testimonies of the survivors." Cyane looked confused while Onyx paid him full attention. "Some of them talk about 'purple eyes in the shadows' and some of the people that saw those 'eyes' report feeling fear like never before. That is, the ones that haven't been broken down by that fear."

Onyx nodded in understanding. "A fear so powerful that breaks the psyche. And they say they saw 'purple eyes'?"

Ozpin nodded and Onyx stopped to think for a moment. In the end, it was Ember who recalled something similar. _'Onyx, Cyane, remember the Grimm that refused to fight us back when we faced Salem in Forever Fall?'_

Onyx stood silent, remembering the encounter. Then it clicked. "It had purple eyes!" Both of them shouted at the same time.

Ozpin looked at them, confused. "Ozpin, remember the encounter we had with Salem yesterday?"

The man nodded. "You said that the Grimm that walked away had purple eyes and features. It would be a valid theory, if it wasn't because the attacks started a while before you encountered it." He said. "In fact, the last attack was performed this very night."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean that Grimm didn't orchestrated the attacks." Replied Cyane. "It definitely seemed smarter than the rest. Are there any people that saw anything else than 'eyes in the dark'?"

"There are some survivors here at Vale, but they are under the Council's protection and my hunters are spread thin protecting the villages and recovering the ones that were lost." He answered. "I don't know if this is the work of Salem or someone else, but whatever is causing these attacks wants to weaken Vale and harm its citizens."

"I agree. I just hope your hunters can keep the towns safe." Onyx spoke. "By the way, do you know of any of the pawns that serve Salem? More specifically, these two." He showed him the drawings of his attackers.

"Ah, the ones that attacked you close to Vacuo. I have been doing my own research." He pointed at the picture of the first man. "This one is called Hazel Rainart. I didn't recall him until recently. He blames me for the death of her sister, Gretchen, a huntress that died during one of her training missions. He has been bent on killing me ever since. His Semblance suppresses pain, allowing him to be an extremely durable enemy in battle."

"That explains his reaction when I cut his arm off." He tuned to Ozpin. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"I have been doing my research and it was only until recently that I found out about the other attacker. And while I have known of Hazel for a while, I didn't recall him after you spoke about him." Onyx sighed but motioned for him to continue. "The other man is Tyrian Callows, a scorpion Faunus. He is responsible of the deaths of many hunters, and his mental state is far from sane. I managed to link many of my old friends deaths to him, thanks to this information I just discovered."

"He seemed obsessed with Salem. He called her 'goddess' and until I got control of the fight, he kept laughing and grinning like a madman." Remarked Onyx. "Before we leave, do you have any more information on any other of her servants?"

"Not for now. But I also have something that might be related to them." In the map still in front of them, a few more dots appeared, only this time they were green. "Recently, these 4 towns reported that, on one day, all the population of the town was engulfed in negativity for a short while, attracting all the Grimm, but they were saved by a boy that rampaged through the Grimm alongside two girls. Then, after the Grimm were dealt with, the emotions of the people in the area returned to normal and the three disappeared."

Onyx smiled under the helmet. He had found another three targets of his list. "Do you know where they are right now?"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "Why would you want to know? Not that I don't appreciate you taking some problems off my back, but you don't seem surprised at all by the news of this group of three."

"I may or may not have heard of them, but let us put it this way:" he said, "send an order to the towns to keep watch if they appear, but to not interfere with them in any manner, and inform me when they appear. Do so, and I'll personally investigate the missing towns and the attacks."

Ozpin hummed as he brought up a hand to his chin. "I'm still interested in why you want to meet them…" He smiled and shrugged. "I guess I'll never know. If something happens, I'll inform you, both on the towns and on the people you are looking for."

Onyx nodded and rose from his seat. Cyane followed, waving back at Ozpin as they left. Onyx entered the elevator, his thoughts on the attacks on the towns. If it was the Grimm that they saw at the forest, then it proved to be far cleverer than he expected.

* * *

Meanwhile, down in Vale, Michael and Platinum moved around the streets, looking for the safe houses the communications mentioned. Behind them trailed Copper and Gold, getting some looks from the people around them, but nothing they and Messingen weren't used to.

As they moved through the city, they ended reaching the industrial district, one of the poorest parts of Vale. While most of the factories and warehouses were stationed there, only a minority of the population actually lived there. Conditions were bad and the law was either bought or incompetent in most cases. The biggest part of the population here was, unsurprisingly, Faunus. Most of them worked on the factories all around the district, earning what they could to get by. The problem resided on the high amount of crime in the place.

While there was crime in the rest of the districts, it wasn't half as bad as it was there. The police didn't care unless it was something mayor like a murder, and even then the law enforcement would only act if the gangs and mafias allowed them. It was even worse with Faunus, as nobody in the force seemed to care about one Faunus less. Even with crime rising because of Torchwic and, supposedly, the white Fang, the police kept themselves from acting, leaving the control of the place to the various criminals.

Luckily, during the afternoon, while the sun still shined, everyone was either at work or there were too many people outside to commit a crime in broad daylight. That, and being escorted by two heavily modified and weaponized AKs kept the possible criminals away. Furthermore, the way they talked and walked, showing no care of where they were or who may step in their way, marked them as professional huntsmen, making anyone realize that trying to fight them would be a death sentence.

Well, _almost_ everyone noticed it. The group of for turned a corner to find themselves in a narrow alleyway. A man in one of the crossing alleys signaled the other group to move and, from some of the fire escapes, dropped a group of six people behind the two AKs, a few meters away. Platinum and Michael turned around, the robots already preparing for a fight. "Well, well, well. Look what the Grimm dropped."

The four turned to see a giant of a man with a scar over his bald head and giant one bladed sword over his shoulder. He wore a black leather jacket, just as the rest of the people that surrounded them. His pants were ragged by design and he appeared to be the leader of the gang that surrounded them, making them a total of 11 counting the boss. "You two seem to be lost. Why don't we give you some directions… for a price?"

Plat and Michael looked at him, them at each other, completely unimpressed. In fact, Platinum looked more bored than anything. "Could he be more cliché?" He muttered to Michael. He stepped forward and cleared his voice. "Listen, gentlemen, we want no trouble. You are right, we are lost. You see, we are looking for this direction here," he said, pointing at his scroll, the direction of the safe house on it, while he stepped closer to the leader, "but we are both new to Vale, at least to this parts. Would you be so kind to show us in the right direction and step out of our way, please?"

Michael was impressed at the calm and politeness of his friend as he spoke to the tower of a man. Still, having seen Onyx's height and his armor, this guy wasn't as impressive. "Well, since you are new, why don't I teach you the rules of this place, asshole?"

"Oh, oh! Let me guess!" Jumped Copper. "You are the one that rules the streets!"

"Anyone that stands in your way gets beaten up or killed!" Continued Gold.

"In order to pass we need to give you all of our belongings!" Copper pointed at Gold.

"And if we call the police, you will kill us before we can run!" Gold did the same to his sister.

They both turned to Michael. "Did we get it right, doc?"

"Uhhh..." The band leader was more confused than he had ever been in his life.

Michael chuckled. "I think you did." The two robots jumped happily. "Now, Plat, what do we do with them?"

"Well," he turned to the gang leader, "it all depends if they take my offer and leave."

"Bah! You think that because you have a couple of weird robots you can scare us!?" The man pointed at Michael. "We are going to take them and use them for parts. I heard parts from machines from Atlas sell well out here." He laughed and then pointed to Platinum. "And I'm going to take that jacket and whatever it is that you have on your back."

He pointed to the strange device strapped at the back of the coat. In actuality, it was the strongest weapon in his possession. The device consisted of four metallic straps that resembled those of a backpack in form and position, only wider and more resistant. In his back was a plate were the weapon was connected to. The weapon was based on the cannons of the prototype Spider Droids of Atlas: it consisted of an extremely powerful single particle cannon that used several types of Dust, with its modifications allowing it to fire at different levels of power, painted in black and thin lines of white. Thanks to the straps, the cannon could move from one side to another on the straps, and its rotatory head allowed for it to point in any direction except to Plat due to its sheer size, reaching from under his hips to almost the top of his head.

All in all, it was more of an artillery cannon strapped to his back, with almost full mobility around his body because of the position of the straps. But most importantly, the weapon was connected by a chip in his neck to his brain, making it answer to his command as if it was any other limb. Platinum smiled and rested his hands on the handles at bot of his sides. "I guess that if you are going to use it, you require a… demonstration." He pulled up the cloth at his neck, covering his mouth and nose and adjusted his tricorned hat. "Any volunteers?"

"Enough!" The man attempted to catch him but Platinum back flipped close to Michael. The man turned to his gang. "What are you waiting for, you idiots! Get them!"

"You were wrong." Said Michael, as he and the AKs prepared to fight. "He could be even more cliché."

Platinum laughed and unsheathed the two swords. Both of them had the handles slightly curved, made for a master duelist. The swords were relatively long, and curved close to the end, having a small resemblance with a sabre. Both the blades and the handles had beautiful decorations in forms of lines and feathers, respectively. The hilts were a soft red with the black feathers over it while the blades were a complete silver.

He adopted a duel stance, one sword in front pointing down, the other ready over his head, pointing forward. The gang pointed their weapons at them and fired, only for a couple of copper walls to cover the four of them. "You know, it's been a while since I went hunting, especially against humans." Said Michael. "I hope I'm not rusty."

"I can take the leader. Can you take care of the rest?" Asked Platinum.

"Hmmm. I think we can." He said to Copper and Gold, who primed their machine guns. "I'll open you a way to him."

"No need."

With that, Platinum dissolved into his shadow and slipped past the copper wall. With that as his cue, Michael dissolved the other wall except a part to cover himself, letting his two creations open fire. The members of the band had their Auras unlocked, but they were extremely weak. While some managed to take cover, a man wasn't so lucky and was left with more holes than a strainer. On the other side, Platinum reappeared and slashed upwards at the tall man, catching him by surprise and sending him flying backwards. The gang members closer to him charged and slashed wildly at him.

Platinum moved with elegance and parried perfectly each strike, positioning himself behind a poor boy who ended up with Platinum's left sword entering the back of his head and exiting between his eyes, cutting through bone and brain as if they were butter. The others took a step back, readying to attack again when the battle cry of the leader got the attention of Plat, who swiftly dodged and parried his strikes.

Meanwhile, Michael moved his metal around with extreme precision, blocking the bullets and letting his robots advance unrelentingly towards their positions. A man tried to slash at Copper only for her to change into close combat mode and block the strike, using her other hand to stab right at his heart. The doctor moved the metal into a spike and launched it through the box where one of the assailants was taking cover, breaking his Aura and impaling him. While the two robots engaged another two gang members, the last one on that side screamed and charged desperately to Michael, who simply caught the strike with one hand and squeezed his wrist, making him drop his sword and shout in pain.

Adding more Aura to his hand, he broke the wrist and hurled the man over him, smashing him on the ground and using his metal to stab right at his head. Looking back up, he noticed Plat dealing with three members and the boss. With a few moves of his hands, he threw his metal towards the remaining attackers, impaling two with several small spikes, but failing to kill the third one, as she noticed the attack and moved, hitting her on the shoulder and in her left foot.

On the other side, Copper and Gold finished their own enemies, the two combining their efforts. Copper ducked and Gold vaulted over, back to back, and ending both of the attackers at once, with Gold cutting through the girl's head and Copper stabbing her blade right between the other boy's legs, making him whimper and crutch that zone before falling to the ground. Both robots rose and Copper shot the man in the head in order to finish him.

In the meantime, Plat was boringly dodging and parrying the attacks of the gang leader. Between strikes, Platinum slashed at him, weakening his Aura. "You couldn't have chosen worse targets to steal, now could you?"

"Shut up! When I'm done with you, I'll kill your friend and make myself rich selling your stuff. Personalized weapons like yours are worth a fortune between collectors." He kept attacking the owl Faunus, until he kicked the robber in the chest and stepped backwards. He grunted and looked back at the Faunus. "What? Are you scared to fight me any longer?"

Plat sighed. "Yes, I'm scared of dying of boredom with you." With that, the shadows around them lashed at the man and ripped the sword out of his palm, restraining him by his legs and arms. "I was hoping you would be a somewhat interesting opponent, but you are just a walking stereotype."

Michael snickered and Gold and Copper placed bets on what he would say next. "You think that I care!? When I get out of here, you will fear the name of Artichoke Beaver!" Said the now named Artichoke in anger. Copper cheered and extended a hand, making Gold grumble and pass her 10 Lien. "You think your fucking Semblance can stop me!? When I'm out, me and my band will get you two, even if we have to assault Beacon!"

"Oh, for the love of- Look around you, asshole!" Said Platinum, losing his patience. "All of your stupid band is dead! And you will follow them, simply because I can't stand you!"

Artichoke laughed. "You think I care about those maggots!? I will get new people in a week and come to kill everything you care-"

A loud noise pierced the air and the man's head, leaving nothing where the head once was. Michael turned to see the cannon retracting with some smoke coming from the end of it. The shadows returned to normal and the two robots rejoined them as he sheathed his swords. The body of Artichoke landed with a thud and without a head. Michael hummed. "I have seen the same cannon on the prototypes of Atlas. Is it based on them?" Plat nodded. "Ah, I see. Would you mind letting me have a look at it later? I never got my hands on the designs of those things."

"As long as you don't change anything." He looked at the massacre and stopped at one of the walls of the alleyway. "Look." He pointed at what had caught his sight. There, with a trail of blood, was lying the woman that managed to dodge Michael's attack. She was trying to take the spike out of her shoulder. The two approached her and when she noticed, she tried to move even further away, even if the wall at her back didn't allow her.

"Are we going to kill her?" Asked Copper. Gold just shrugged.

Platinum leaned on one leg, closer to the girl, who moved to the other side, only to be stopped when she noticed Michael standing there, smiling calmly. "Now, now. If you could just-" Platinum was cut by the girl.

"Please! Don't kill me! I'll do anything! Anything!" Tears appeared on her eyes. "Please! I just wanted to gain some money! I didn't want to hurt anyone!" He looked at both of them. "Take me to the police! Arrest me! Do anything, but please, don't kill me!"

Platinum raised his eyebrows and looked at Michael, who just shrugged. "I mean, we did massacre her band and almost kill her. The world will be better without that asshole of a gang leader, but I don't think she has to die." Platinum hummed and looked back at the girl.

"Hey." She turned to him, but he stopped her from saying a word. "Why were you with these idiots?"

She swallowed and started explaining. "I-I got fired and-and I was going to lose my house. I joined the band when I proved Artichoke I could fight, b-but I didn't want to hurt anyone." A few hiccups and sobs cut her off here and there. "I just wanted some Lien to keep my house until I could find a job, but I couldn't find anything because I'm- I'm a…"

"You're a Faunus." Finished Platinum. She looked at him, surprised. "I saw you dodge the attack from my friend here," he pointed at Michael, "even if there wasn't any sound or warning for the attack."

She nodded and took her hood off, revealing a couple of dog ears. "I manage to convince Beaver to let me in, even with me being a Faunus. The others didn't like me too much, but I-I didn't know what else to do and-and…" She cried again. "Please, don't kill me…"

Platinum sighed. "It's alright. We won't kill you." He turned to Michael, nodding to say that she was being honest. "Hey, look at me." She did so ad found herself looking at the screen of a scroll. "I wasn't lying when I said we were lost. Do you know where this direction is?"

She took the scroll and looked at it. "I-I do. It's just a few blocks away, closer to the docks. J-just follow the street down here and turn right. You will find the street marked a-and then you can find the number."

Platinum lowered his cloth and took off his hat, showing her his longer ears. He picked the scroll. "Thank you. We'll call an ambulance and, if you promise me that you will stop doing this and find a job, I'll vouch for you to the cops. Deal?" He said while he smile softly.

She nodded quickly. "Yes! Yes, I promise! I'll find a job a-and keep it and-and- Thank you! Thank you!" She said, almost crying again.

He turned to Michael. "Gold has already called an ambulance." The doctor looked at the alleyway. "We made quite the mess, eh?"

"Yeah, but that's what they get for trying to rob and kill experienced huntsmen." He looked back at the girl, who was calming herself down slowly. "I don't think all of them were bad people. Maybe we should try some restraint the next time?"

"Maybe, but what's done it's done. We may be protecting humanity and the Faunus, but Onyx already told us that we have basically _carte blanche_. If we are to stop _her_ , then we must not let anyone stand in our way." Answered Michael. "And while she may not be bad, purging the streets from Vale is not something bad either."

Plat hummed and turned to the girl. "What's your name?" He said, moving closer and applying pressure on the wound in her shoulder. "Don't try to take it out, by the way. You may bleed out if you do so."

She winced at the pain but spoke nonetheless. "E-Erin Maize."

"Platinum Ochre, a pleasure." He answered.

To his surprise she looked at him for a moment and started laughing nervously, almost looking like she was crying again for a moment. When she saw the confused faces of the two huntsmen, she explained. "S-sorry. It's just that, a few moments ago you were trying to kill me, a-and now you are waiting for the ambulance to reach here. I guess I just find it confusing and… scary."

"I guess it is confusing." Answered Platinum. He could already hear the ambulance close. "But we have been trained to fight the worst of humanity and the Grimm, so when you attacked, we defended ourselves as best as we knew."

The ambulance and the police arrived and took the poor woman in. While they took a look at her, Plat and Michael answered a few questions. Not that the cops cared much in this place, but it was protocol. They asked even less questions when they learned they were hunters, but they didn't give their names.

When they left the alleyway after the police closed the zone, Michael spoke. "Good news is, now we know where to go."

* * *

They reached the apartment shortly after, but didn't found anyone in there. They noted a few markings close to the building, signaling it was White Fang territory. Inside, the apartment looked as simple and non-suspicious as possible, which already made them realize that they were in the right place. True to their instincts, it didn't take them long to find a secret door, leading to a room full of Dust and weapons, with some communication devices and Lien in case it was needed.

Besides the devices were some codes, most surely to encrypt the messages from the members. They took the codes and the devices, and looked for anything else. After a few minutes, Gold called them to the main room, where under a table was a map of the city. There wasn't anything marked on it, which surprised both hunters.

They kept searching for more until Platinum came with an idea. He asked if any of the two robots had UV lights. Michael confirmed it and realized what he meant. After Gold lighted the map with the UV light, several spots and marks appeared on the map. Plat took a picture just in case something happened to the map and took it anyways.

They contacted Onyx with their findings and decided that they would keep the safe house under surveillance. If any WF members decided to come here, they would know and could catch them in order to get some Intel on what was happening with this branch. After another look of the place, they left, with Michael ready to come back tomorrow and install a surveillance system.

On their way back, Onyx gave them the names of the two that attacked him back at Vacuo: Hazel Rainart and Tyrian Callows. With the new information, they decided to meet tomorrow in order to decide what to do with the White Fang and the agents of Salem.

Unbeknownst to them, back at Onyx's room, the egg pulsated with dark energy more and more. The scales of the outer shell cracked slightly, invisible at first sight, and the purple linings between them shined just a little bit brighter with every pulse. During that same night, as Onyx practiced in the training grounds against holograms and the academy slept, the egg gave it's first real sing of having a living being inside of it: it moved.

* * *

 **A.N.: so, things move forward. During the fight, I tried to imagine the most stereotypical villain I could just to have some laughs. I was originally planning a fight against WF members, but then I realized that I wanted to wait until later. They don't have the same luck as team RWBY, who seems to find whatever they want at the first attempt.**

 **Talking about the WF, I positioned their headquarters on Menagerie because I don't know where they are and I don't recall them saying it in the series. If they mention something in ep 2 of this new season, I haven't seen it yet.**

 **Another thing is the genres of the AKs. I did it only to make writing easier. They are robots and unlike Penny, they don't have genres, only different voices. It's better to refer to them as 'him' and 'her' than referring to them as 'it' all the time. I already have Ember to deal with.**

 **One last note. For Plat's weapons, imagine the Predator shoulder cannon but in a bigger size, and the swords like ones from elves. Just for you guys to have a mental image.**

 **Reviews! (I'll post the chapters they are in this time in order for you to know which one is which.)**

 **Guest (ch 7): thank you! I'll try my best.**

 **WarWithoutEnd (ch 9, 10): (1** **st** **) I know, but RT didn't expand as much as I would like, so I'll keep working on expanding it as close to canon as possible. (2** **nd** **) I'm glad you like it. Salem is strong so they need to be even stronger.**

 **Guest (ch 10): it's not going to be easy, but Salem and co. are not going to go unscathed out of this.**

 **Gray28wolf08 (ch 11): I'm glad you liked how I introduced your characters. As for any mistakes, I apologize. I keep improving but for now I may keep making them every now and then.**

 **pittsacee (ch 11): rip indeed. Poor exo badass. At the end of the campaign I was looking for the 'shoot this mothefucker' button.**

 **Gray28wolf08 (ch 16): I know, right! It's fucking awesome, and I suffered the same problem: 1** **st** **time, 2 entire days to beat; all of the rest, on the first try. Well, except when I am invoked and the casul of a host dies.**

 **Guest (ch 16): thanks! I like some of the crossovers, but I get saturated from seeing the same character over and over again. I'll give more 'umph' to the violence when possible.**

 **endme (ch 16): Orphan of Kos was also a pain in the ass, but I managed to beat him in a couple of hours, just before I went to sleep. And obviously it had to be the giant laser dragon, duh!**

 **TheFurt (ch 7): O_O wait, let me check my notes… wtf!? I have no knowledge of this! Cyaneeeee, come here, it's a matter of life or death! (5 minutes later) All would point that she rubes her four eyes, though first the human ones,** _ **then**_ **the spider ones.**

 **With that finished, I want you to know something. While the coalition under Onyx works to save Remnant, they are closer to being in the grey scale of things, simply because they** _ **literally won't let anyone stop them**_ **. They won't go killing wildly, but they are not afraid to do so.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	19. Chapter XV

**A.N.: hello there! Sorry this took longer than it normally would. Personal problems made this chapter difficult to write. I ended up writing without enough sleep and waking up later saying 'why the fuck did I write this!?' and end up rewriting almost a third of what I had.**

 **On another note, I have been playing Amity Arena and I'm having a blast. What do you guys think of the game? I would like them to add more characters but that's just my thought.**

 **Sool, episode 2 of V6 and HOLY FUCK am I hooked to this shit again! As I said, won't spoil anything but if someone wants to talk about it with me, they can PM if they want. Remember, only up to ep2 for now, I don't have FIRST and part of me whishes I do.**

 ***WARNING: small spoiler ahead, don't read the next paragraph if you haven't seen RWBY V6 ep 2***

 ***I know I just said no spoilers, but with where they are going with Salem I will try to keep it close to cannon, but until the questions are answered I can only guess.***

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

 **Team EVN was created and submitted by Taken Kings.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter XV**

 **Crossing the list**

Weiss wandered the halls of Beacon. The last class of the day had ended and she had decided to train in one of the arenas of the academy. While she would normally be studying, or helping Ruby do so, she also couldn't stop training and improving her fighting style. Studies were important, but if you didn't improve as a fighter too, then going to an institution as Beacon was of no use.

She would rather spar against someone than train with the droids and holograms, but the rest of her team had decided to hang out with JNPR and LSRN. In fact, seeing as how it was Friday, she agreed to go with them after her training. She kept walking calmly towards the training arenas, lost in her thoughts and in how she could help Ruby with her studies. She did had to catch up on two years, after all.

Before she rounded a corner, the sound of steps and a familiar voice reached her ears. "The White Fang always means trouble, and I'm not saying it because I work for the SDC. Their actions provoke a self-sustaining circle of hate that leads to nowhere but death and fear."

She recognized the voice instantly, but couldn't place the second one that answered. "I'm afraid that you are right. I don't have much experience dealing with them, but even I can see that, right now, their violence will not lead them to the equality they want."

Even if only those two voices were heard, she noted that there were more sets of steps, and she noted that they sounded awfully mechanic and heavy. Before she could try to guess, the group rounded the corner she was hiding behind and almost bumped into her. "Oh! Ms. Schnee. My apologies, I hadn't seen you there."

Weiss smiled and acted as if she hadn't heard anything. "It's alright, Plat." She said with a court smile.

"Of course." He turned to his side, where his companion, a rather strange looking man, stood. Behind them, two AK-140 robots looked at her, and she swore that one of them was bouncing in place slightly. "Let me present each other. This my friend, Doctor Michael Messingen. We are working together under a common cause that will benefit everyone if accomplished. Michael, this is Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, and my trainee, alongside with her sister."

The strange cyborg extended his hand, which she shook. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Schnee. I haven't dealt with your family in a long time, and I always believed that new generations are far more approachable than the ones in the seats of power."

Weiss smiled politely and was about to speak, only to be cut off by one of the two robots who zipped its way right in front of her. "Oh my Oum, you're Weiss Schnee!" The robot half-shouted, half-squealed with a feminine voice. One of her discs suddenly appeared in its hands. "I'm a great fan of your music! Can I have your autograph!?"

To say Weiss was surprised, was an understatement. Out of all the people she had to give autographs to, she never expected to sign one to a robot. "Um… Sure?"

She picked the case and with a pen provided by the doctor, she got to work. "To whom do I dedicate it?"

"Oh! I'm Copper, and this is my brother Gold." She pointed to the other robot and leaned closer, whispering to the heiress. "He won't say it but he is also a big fan. He's just too shy to show it."

"Copper!" Her brother shouted, making Weiss and the robot giggle at his expense. She signed the case and gave it back to the robot.

"I had never seen robots with… personalities." Explained Weiss as the robot held to the disc as if it was a holy item. "Is this your work, doctor Messingen?"

"It was the product of the work of my friend and I." He explained. "He kept a copy of the program to work with and I implanted it in two heavily modified frames. You can see the results by yourself." He said proudly.

Weiss nodded and then turned to her friend. "I was actually hoping to talk with you. Many things have happened since our last talk."

He smiled. "I would love to." He nodded to Michael and he and his robots waved them goodbye. "Where you going somewhere before we crossed paths?"

"I was actually going to the training arenas. My team decided to hang out with other teams, but I wanted to train a bit before I went back to them." She explained.

"I see. It's good that you are making friends, Weiss." They kept walking to the arenas. "By the way, how did your team leader turn out in the end? Ruby Rose, right?"

"Well…" She explained the recent events to Plat. He kept a straight face during her explanation, only nodding and humming at times. "She is keeping her promise of improving as a team leader, so I intend to keep mine."

Plat smiled as they approached one of the arenas. "That is indeed a good development, Weiss. I'm glad everything ended right. And the rest of your team?"

"They are… interesting." She said as she thought of how to explain the other two members of team RWBY. "Yang is Ruby's sister. She is hotheaded, but she has the strength to back it up. Blake… likes to read and… well, she tends to keep to herself."

The Faunus simply hummed, acknowledging what the heiress had told him. They reached the arena and Weiss stepped up on it. "It's been nice to talk to you Weiss. Until next time." He bowed slightly and turned to walk away.

"Wait! Um… actually," Platinum turned around, "I was wondering if we could train together, like back at home."

Platinum smiled and chuckled lightly. "It'll be my pleasure. Let's see if you can perform as well as in your initiation."

* * *

After setting the arena, each fighter moved in front of each other, a few meters away. Plat tapped a few buttons on his scroll and set a timer in the main screen. He unsheathed his swords and waited for the timer to end. On the other side, Weiss was already waiting in her favored stance, the tip of Myrtenaster pointed diagonally at the ground.

They stood in silence, waiting for the countdown to end. Plat adjusted his hat and covered his mouth and nose with the cloth at his neck. The staring contest continued until a loud buzzer rang through the arena.

Weiss launched herself with a glyph towards her friend in a stabbing motion. Plat parried the attack and used his other blade to counter, only for Weiss to sidestep. She attacked again with several quick strikes at his side. The Faunus blocked and parried each one, stepping back slowly. He waited until the pattern of her attacks repeated itself to use his Semblance and dodge faster than the normal eye could see, leaving a small trail of shadows behind.

Weiss attempted to keep up her attack, but was forced to block the cuts and slashes from her trainer. While both styles were elegant and quick, her weapons showed the difference in the forms. The heiress aimed for quicker, but more predictable stabs and attack patterns. On the other hand, Platinum slashed in wider patterns, making him somewhat slower but giving him more control over the enemy. The first minute of the fight became an elegant dance between two expert duelists.

Even the unnoticed spectator became enticed in the combat.

The balance was broken when Weiss back flipped to gain distance and started spawning several glyphs around Platinum. The man smiled and allowed her to keep her Semblance up. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his own. When he opened them back, he saw Weiss smiling and ready to attack. She propelled herself on a glyph and started her assault. For any other person, the flurry of strikes and stabs from all directions would have overwhelmed them. He had been training her for years, he knew her tricks and predicted her strikes, but allowed her to land a few hits, concentrating on his own Semblance.

Before the next strike could land, he faded into his shadow and moved away from the encirclement. Weiss was forced to stop her attack in order to reposition. She landed and turned around, looking for the Faunus. The man reappeared from his shadow and pointed behind her. She turned around, only to find pillars formed from her shadow, rising towards the lights in the ceiling. From the shadow of Plat the same pillars attempted to reach the lights.

Weiss noticed she had fallen into his trap and tried to attack the rising columns behind her. With her glyphs, she managed to destroy one of them, but the rest reached the lights quickly, blocking them and leaving the arena in almost complete darkness. For Plat, this didn't affect him at all. In fact, with his specific traits, he felt in his element. Meanwhile, Weiss was forced to activate one of her glyphs in order to see around her.

Plat chuckled, his voice echoing throughout the arena. "Your skill is impressive, Weiss. You'll be on your sister's level in no time." He moved around the heiress, camouflaged in the shadows. "But you should strive to improve even further. Starting in two points: improvisation and stamina."

With that, he stepped in front of her, covered in shadows. She prepared to attack, only for more shadow figures to appear in her field of view. Each looked exactly the same, making it impossible for Weiss to know who to attack. She noticed one of the shadows move differently and launched towards it, only to stab the shadow, being nothing more than air. The rest of the shadows closed in. Weiss turned and began her attack, using her glyphs to move and attack each shadow.

For every shadow she destroyed, another one took its place. Meanwhile, Platinum stayed hidden while his shadows did all the work, watching as Weiss grew tired quickly. She was finishing the last copies when he charged at her. "Think quickly!" He shouted. Weiss turned and found Plat ready to slash at her with his twin swords. He was too close to use one of her glyphs on him effectively, so she summoned one under her and jumped back in the air, making him miss. She turned in the air, ready to counterattack.

Only to find herself being the target of the cannon in the Faunus back.

The shot fired quicker than she could react. In a desperate attempt, she covered herself with her sword. It clearly didn't work, as her Aura dropped below 15% and she was flung away almost to the edge of the arena. She landed as Myrtenaster clattered the ground outside of her grip. In a few seconds, the shadows returned to normal and Plat stepped closer, sheathing his swords and extending a hand as Weiss tried to stand up.

"You are very adaptable, going from quick slashes to strong attacks." He said, as he helped Weiss up to her feet. "But if you can't keep up the attack, then any enemy that can tank or dodge your strikes will end up outlasting you."

"Or anyone that can use their Semblance as an army to overwhelm me." She said as she picked her weapon up and sent a glare. "That wasn't fair and you know it."

He shrugged. "Your enemies won't fight fair, so you either outsmart them or you play as dirty as them."

They were stepping out of the arena when they turned to the sound of clapping. Up in the stands, Nickel was the source of the sound. "That was honestly amazing. I've never seen a Semblance like that."

Plat was about to answer only for Weiss to beat him to it. "What are you doing here, Nickel? Weren't you with the rest of the teams?" While Nickel and her hadn't talked much since initiation, they both knew who each other was, both being quite famous.

For just a second before he spoke, Weiss could see him send her a look between anger and disgust. He smiled back before it was noted. "I forgot my headphones in our room and I was passing by when I heard the combat."

Plat brought a hand to his chin and looked back at the boy. "But aren't the dorms at the other side of the campus?"

Nickel raised a finger and was about to respond, only to lower it and his head. "Okay, yeah. I got lost and heard the fighting. I was about to use my map in the scroll when I saw you two fight and stayed to watch. Seeing as how it's over, I'll be going now." He walked to the door and opened his scroll. "Now, if I am here…"

Weiss sighed. "You seriously can't go around without someone holding your hand, can you?"

He turned to her, glaring with hate and spite that she would have never placed on the laid back boy. "And _you_ have the guts to tell _me_ that." He walked to the door and closed it with a slam.

Plat turned to Weiss. "What was that about?"

"I… don't know." She answered sincerely.

* * *

"Of course, sir." The pilot answered through the scroll. "We'll have the bird ready for you."

Onyx nodded and cut off the call. He walked to Cyane's room and knocked on the door. The girl opened the door and looked at the knight. Onyx could see the console she owned turned on and playing a game he couldn't recognize. "What is it, metal-head? I'm in the middle of my greatest game! I'm beating the shit out of this kid!"

"I'm leaving for a mission." Cyane smiled and went to reach for her weapon when Onyx stopped her. "Let me repeat that, _I_ am leaving for a mission. _You_ are staying to keep the students in check. We can't leave Beacon unguarded, specially in the middle of the school year."

"What!? Come on, Onyx!" She pouted. "The students will be out on Vale and I have nothing to do until Sunday because Neo couldn't meet earlier!"

"I am sorry, Cyane. But with the White Fang running around and with the Maiden recovering under Beacon, we can't allow to leave it undefended." He said.

"B-but you have Michael and Plat to cover for us!" She smiled and closed her arms. "There! You no reason to not take me with you!"

Onyx sighed. "Cyane, you are the only _official_ employee apart from me in our circle, and as much as I can trust them, they have work to do with the safe house they discovered. In fact, I need you to do something special for me." He beckoned her to follow. She glared at him and turned off the console before following him.

They moved to his room beside the one of Cyane and entered. There they both moved closer to the egg at the side of the room. Unlike Cyane's, the room was devoid of decorations apart from some weapons and objects here and there. They stood around the egg as Onyx talked. "After I met with Platinum and the doctor, I returned to my room to organize a couple of things and think of a plan for how to act, when I noticed it move."

Cyane looked at him. "Move?"

Onyx nodded. "It balanced slightly. We guessed that the dragon inside is growing faster than we thought." Explained the knight. "I don't think it will hatch when we are away, but I want you to keep an eye on it while I'm out." He laid a hand on the egg, feeling the being inside stir around slightly. "And if this takes longer than expected, I need you to start training Ruby while I am out."

Cyane looked wide-eyed at him. "What!? But I don't know how to teach someone like you or the other teachers do! Why can't Plat train her!? He has trained Weiss after all."

"I am not asking you to make her a SSS rank huntress while I'm out. And you can indeed ask Platinum for help," he explained, "but your style is closer to hers than Plat's. I know you haven't taught before, but it will only be a couple of days at much. You can always fight her and try to point out her mistakes to help her improve. I only want you to tell me how she fights so I can help her."

She sighed. "Fine. I'll keep things in order while you are not around. Where are you going anyway?"

They moved outside the room, making sure nobody heard them. "The last targets of my list have shown up and I don't have much time until they go off the radar again."

"Oh, you mean the trio that Ozpin mentioned, right?" He nodded. "Well, at least I hope _you_ have fun out there."

"Please, don't be so dramatic." He answered. "I may even be here before tomorrow."

"Oh, look! The showoff of Beacon is telling me to not be so dramatic." She deadpanned.

Onyx looked away. "I am not a showoff. I instill respect."

"Yeah, sure, you keep believing that." She turned to him and smiled. "Fair warning, though. I make no promises on the state of the academy during your absence."

Onyx chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Goodbye, Cyane."

"Don't be a stranger, metal-head." She answered as he walked away.

She stood there as he disappeared, turning around the corner.

"You, know he reacted faster than I expected."

"AHHH!" Cyane jumped at the sudden voice beside her. "Ozpin, what the fuck!?"

The man smiled while he brought the cup to his lips. "I would ask you to watch your language in front of the students, or better, in front of Glynda."

She glared at him. "I will when you stop popping up around people without warning. Seriously, Oz, if you do that again I will punch you."

The Headmaster chuckled. "I'll take my chances."

"Well, what do you want anyway?" She asked.

"I actually came here to inform you both that a team of hunters have eliminated the group of Grimm that were destroying villages." His face became more serious. "The bad news is that none of them had purple eyes nor matched the description that you two gave about that strange Grimm."

"You still think whatever that was is still out there?" She asked.

"I'm afraid so. But there were no trails or tracks that could point to a different type of Grimm." He turned around and started walking. "In the Council's opinion, there were no special Grimm, only traumatized civilians."

"Of course." She grumbled. "Well, good luck dealing with them."

"I have something better: experience." He waved back and left for his office.

* * *

"So… when is Weiss going join us?" Asked Lena. They were in their combat clothes, ready to go down to Vale. Nickel had returned recently, telling them that Weiss had finished training, but keeping their small exchange for himself.

Yang shrugged. "I don't know. If she went to take a shower we may be here all weekend."

"Says the girl that takes almost half an hour in the bathroom at morning." Replied Blake, not caring to hide her smile in the book she had.

Yang grabbed her hair, caressing it. "Hey, this beauty needs love and care."

"Why don't you just cut it?" Asked Nickel.

Yang turned around, not looking at the boy. "I do no longer know you. Don't listen to him, he is just jealous of my precious." Se said to her hair.

Nickel raised a finger and gave her a confused look. "Uhhh…"

Ruby pulled down his hand and shook her head. "Don't argue it. The first time we went to cut her hair we ended up binding and dragging her by force. And then we had to rescue the barber from her."

Nickel gulped and let the subject drop. Ruby turned back to her talk with Schwarz about his weapon. Ruby had agreed to help him after her training with Onyx. Nickel and Rebecca were talking with Ren and Nora and, unsurprisingly, the always energetic girl had diverted the conversation into something of a dream and pancakes. Lena and Pyrrha were conversing battle tactics with Jaune, who was turning out to be quite good at seeing the flaws and advantages of some of them.

The moment was interrupted when Weiss approached. "I'm sorry it took so long." Beside her, a man in a black, long coat and a tricorned hat stood with a calm smile. "This is my personal combat instructor and bodyguard of my family, Platinum Ochre."

The man took of his hat, revealing his longer ears and bowed. "It's a pleasure meeting you all." He turned to the small reaper. "I suppose you are Ruby Rose, the leader of team RWBY." He extended his hand with a warm smile. "I hope Weiss isn't giving you much trouble."

"Hey!"

Ruby giggled and shook his hand. "No. She is a great friend and she is helping me a lot in my studies."

Platinum nodded. Before he could continue, he was interrupted by Blake, who looked at him intently. "You are a Faunus, right?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?" He asked, although he didn't show anger in his voice.

"No, no, no. I'm just… surprised to see one working so… directly and willingly under a Schnee." She explained. "Most don't like the company or the family at all."

Platinum raised an eyebrow at that. She sounded… strange. As if she was referring somewhat to herself or someone close. "I guess I'm not like most Faunus, then." He left it at that, not willing to start explaining now. Suddenly, his look got lost for a moment before nodding to himself slightly. "As much as I would like to meet you all, I just remembered that I need to reunite with my companion and head down to Vale for our own business."

"Of course." Weiss smiled. "I hope we can meet again soon."

He smiled and bowed to her. "I would like that too." He turned back to the academy. "And, Weiss," she turned to look at him, "remember to enjoy yourself. You will cherish the memories of this time in the future, trust me."

She smiled and bowed slightly. They all entered the airship that carried their group and other students. While the rest of the group planned the afternoon, Ruby and Schwarz kept going on about the details of the new weapon. "I think that making it able to use reinforced bullets apart from normal and Dust-infused will give you more versatility."

"But then it poses the problem of weight and strength of the trigger." He mused back. "Too much power, and the recoil will be excessive. Too little, and the bullets won't do enough damage."

Ruby turned her face into one of concentration. From Schwarz's point of view, she looked cute. "You are planning on using the SIVA on it, right?" He nodded. "Why not adjust the strength of the trigger depending on the type of clip you insert? If it's a heavier caliber, it adds power and the other way around."

Schwarz brought a hand to his chin. "I would need to calibrate the different clips or the magazine well, but I can do it easily." He nodded, a small smile appearing on his lips. "Yes, yes. I'm starting to see a design. When I have time, I will send you some sketches and blueprints so you can take a look. When we sort out the details, we can get working on it."

"Wow, you already have something in mind?" He nodded. "But we only decided it to be a burst rifle and a couple of things. I think we need to look more into it before deciding!" She said with a smile.

The scientist raised an eyebrow under his glasses. "You just want to look at more weapons, don't you?"

"Ehehehe… well…" Before she could give a totally credible and real explanation, her sister cut in.

"Hey, Rubes. Gawking over weapons with grumpy cyborg over here?" She said with a knowing smile.

While Schwarz muttered something about Lena, Ruby argued with her sister. "Yang! We are not gawking, we are planning and detailing and-"

Schwarz cut her off. "I said I had a basic design and she complained because she wanted to look over more weapons."

Ruby turned to him, with a look of utter betrayal on her face. "Not you too! Why would you side with my sister, weapon partner!?"

Schwarz and Yang snickered at the antics of the young team leader. "Actually, I was hoping to talk with grumpy cyborg over here."

Schwarz sighed. "Lena told you that name, didn't she?"

Yang shrugged. "Maybe." She turned to Ruby. "It'll only be a moment."

"Ugh! Fine! We are still going to see the weapons, though." She turned and walked away, leaving the other two alone in the back of the airship.

"Well, what is it?" Asked Schwarz.

Yang turned to him, her entire demeanor far more serious now. "You said I remembered you of someone you were looking for. Who?"

The scientist glared through his sunglasses. "I told you to forget about it. It is none of your business."

Yang pulled out her scroll and searched for an image. "Is this the person?"

Schwarz was about to complain until he looked at the image. He would recognize that armor and helmet anywhere. He had even seen the face under the helmet. He took the scroll and lowered his sunglasses, thinking it was a hallucination. He looked back at Yang, completely taken back. "How…?"

"Her name is Raven Branwen. She is the leader of a bandit tribe and-"

Schwarz raised his hand. "I-I know that. I investigated that myself. What I want to know is how and why you have her image in your scroll."

Yang inhaled deeply. She needed answers, but she didn't know if revealing her past may be the right price for them. "I'm also searching for her. I was hoping you knew something more than me."

"Why are you looking for someone so dangerous?"

Yang glared at him. "I could ask you the same thing."

Schwarz kept looking at her. He sighed and looked around, making sure no one was eavesdropping. "She is the woman that assaulted my lab with her tribe, killed almost everyone inside, including my friends, and left the rest for the Grimm. Not before cutting my arm and almost killing me, taking all of value and destroying _years_ of research. If it wasn't for the SIVA, we wouldn't be having this conversation. So, tell me," he transformed his arm into a blade and moved it out of his cape, "why do you think I'm looking her for?"

Yang looked down and back at him. "I can't let you do that. Not until I talk to her. I need to know answers to some questions only she knows."

"What questions?" He noticed the doubt in Yang's face and sighed. "I won't force you to tell me, but I don't think a bandit leader has the answers you are looking for."

"She's not any bandit leader." She answered. "Only she knows why my mother left my dad and me when I was just a child."

"Why would someone like-" Then, it clicked. The reason why Yang's face reminded him so much of the woman he hated. They looked almost the same, only that Yang had blonde hair and a few years less. He had known she and Ruby were only half sisters, but he hadn't asked more. "You… are her daughter?"

When Yang nodded slightly, a silence fell over the two. He realized that he just confessed wanting to kill her mother in her face and Yang got a taste of the consequences of the actions of her long lost mother. They stared at each other, the moments looking like hours, saved only by the ship docking back in Vale.

Noticing their friends leaving, Yang recovered. "Let's just enjoy the afternoon for now. We'll… talk later?"

The scientist blinked a few times and nodded after he put back on his sunglasses. "Yes. Later." He watched as the teams waited for them, Ruby waving at both. "We'll keep this between us for now. Agreed?"

"Yeah. Let's go." She answered. "I don't think Ruby can wait more to go nerd out over weapons."

Schwarz chuckled lightly, trying to return to a better mood before rejoining with his team. It didn't work very well, as his three teammates noted his demeanor, though decided to ignore it at least until they returned to Beacon.

* * *

The innkeeper eyed the boy in front of him. He was tall, a little more than 6', lightly tanned with an elegant white dress shirt, regular jeans and black dress shoes, though they appeared to have steel-toes. He wore a red scarf, even if the weather didn't need it, and his hands were covered in black gloves. Two beautiful treble chef cuff-links decorated the end of the sleeves of his shirt. "Sorry, but the attack has left the town in chaos. I don't have any clean rooms to offer. Some people stole the mattresses or even the tables! I seriously don't know what they were thinking. I'm not surprised the Grimm ended up attracted to us."

The boy nodded. "I know it is difficult, but please, we don't have anywhere to go. There are not other inns in the town and we can't reach the next village before night falls." The boy leaned closer on the bar. "Please, anything that you have will serve." The tone of his voice suggested some worry, but it ways away from pleading or desperate.

The man sighed. "Listen, I know what you did for the town and we are extremely grateful, don't get me wrong, but I can't just simply go and start shoving people out." The other man looked saddened at the news. "Hey." The boy looked back at him. "I promise nothing, but I'll take a look at the basement. Maybe you can use the bunker down there."

The boy smiled. "Thank you, it means a lot."

"The entire town should be thanking you. I really am sorry that I can't do more." He was about to check on the basement before he turned to the boy. "Before I leave, do you want anything?"

"Do you have ice cream?" He asked. The innkeeper nodded. "Then three cups, two of vanilla and one of chocolate mint."

The innkeeper left and he looked around the area. There were a few people around drinking and laughing. Even if the bar wasn't completely filled, the noise was quite deafening. It was normal to celebrate after successfully repelling a Grimm attack, to serve several purposes: driving away negative emotions, celebrating survival and mourning the dead in a way.

Luckily, this attack was repelled with no deaths from civilians or defenders. In a way, the town was indebt with them from saving them. Or at least would be like that if they weren't also the reason that the town suffered the wave of negativity and was attacked. The leader of the town had promised any and all expenses on the town would be covered by him. The problem was that they were out of Lien and , while the people of the town had been saved during the attack, some buildings weren't as lucky.

Which lead to the actual situation: the inn was damaged and many rooms were in shambles, not because the Grimm, but because the negativity had made people some people act, and not in a good way.

After scanning the room, he stopped on the table his companions were waiting at and waved at them. The sisters were 5' 8" and had almost exactly the same face, with a few differences. Nyx had her hair past her shoulder blades and her eyes were a bright yellow. Her sister, Vesper, also had yellow eyes, though hers were a pale shade of the color, and her hair was curt short. Both had the same tanned skin.

They waved back and he turned around, just in time to see the innkeeper return with the three cups and a small sack. "Your ice creams from the majors part," he said as he laid them on the bar, "and this pouch from the armored man upstairs."

That normally would have made him wary, but seeing as how they had just saved a town, he wasn't too surprised. "Does he want something?"

The innkeeper shrugged. "He just said to give it to you. And he is not very difficult to find, if you want to ask him." The man walked away, leaving him with the sack and the three ice creams.

He grabbed the small bag but was interrupted by two hands reaching for the two vanilla ice creams. He turned around and saw his two companions already feasting on the delicious dessert. "You were taking too long." Said Nyx honestly.

Her sister, Vesper Aurora, nodded. "Though it was worth the wait, Ed." She said with a smile while she brought a spoonful of ice cream to her mouth.

Edmond chuckled. The sisters had been with him for a long time and they had been surviving together since he found them and rescued them. They were eleven when they started travelling together. Now, 7 years later, the two 18 year old sisters had stuck with him through thick and thin. They would burn the world for each other. In fact, they were already doing something similar, using Vesper's Semblance to attract Grimm and train. It was dangerous for the civilians around them, but they turned that into an advantage: the Grimm attack, they save the people and the trio gets rewarded. Not only that, but the Grimm population gets reduced. It's a win-win situation.

He looked back to the pouch. "What's in it?" Asked Nyx. She wore a blood red, short sleeved, button up shirt with matching velvet gloves. The black leather jeans reached down to her boots, with an orange stripe on each side, while the boots were steel-toe just like his. Her shirt had a black heart on one of the shoulders while it covered the scars on her back.

"Is it a gift from someone?" Continued Vesper. Her clothes were completely different from the ones of her sister. She wore a black and white blouse, white shorts and black, thigh length combat boots. Her symbol, the outline of a heart, was on her left shoulder, opposite to the one of her sister.

"I honestly don't know. Wanna see what's inside?" Getting nods from both sisters, he opened the sack, pulling from the rope that held it close. The sisters leaned closer to peek inside, and went wide eyed as Edmond almost drops the sack. Inside was more than enough Lien to keep their expenses and even their whims for a few years. After the initial shock passed, he took a closer look at the cards, making sure they weren't fake. He nodded to both sisters to confirm that the money was real.

The two girls were about to cheer, but Edmond stopped them when he pulled out something that wasn't a Lien card. It was a photograph and the picture in it almost made the young man's heart jump out of his chest. The picture showed him when he was a baby, abandoned in a hospital at Mistral. The image consisted of him with the staff that had taken him as their own child. Normally, hospitals would search for the parents or put the child for adoption, but the hospital itself was also part of an big church dedicated to the God Brothers, making most of the staff clerics and nuns from the church, and upon finding that the parents had left, they raised him , even if he didn't turn out to be much of a 'man of faith'.

Seeing the worried look that their friend was giving to the picture, the sisters took a look at it. "Ed, what is it?"

"It's… me." That made the two sisters look at him. "The baby in the picture. It's me. This was when the staff of the hospital took me in and raised me. I haven't seen them since I left when I was six. For someone to know about this…"

The next words were left unsaid, but it was clear enough that the person that had send them the Lien knew about him. He turned the picture around. Correction, the person knew about _them_. Behind the picture were a few written lines and a symbol.

' _I have seen what you are capable of, Edmond Salieri, Vesper Aurora and Nyx Aurora. I mean you no harm, but I believe we can work together to protect Remnant. If not for the world itself, then for the ones we care about. Sincerely – The Black Knight.'_

The symbol was his own, which he wore in his shirt over his heart: an upside down heart with claw marks and an eye inside of it. The three of them looked at each other, worried but curious. "Hey!" Edmond called the innkeeper. "Who did you say that gave you this?"

The man simply pointed up, signaling the upper floor, where a few other tables looked upon the rest of the establishment. Edmond looked at both sisters and, receiving nods from both of them, they picked their ice creams up and moved up the stairs. The first tables close to the stairs were filled by groups of drunken men and women trying to keep happy, and doing a good job at it.

Moving further, the tables became emptier, though the sound coming from the rest of the place was still somewhat loud. A few seconds later, Vesper tugged him on the shirt and pointed to a table further away, hidden somewhat by the lack of light in that part of the inn, an open window closer than any other source of light. There, in one of the chairs, an enormous figure clad in black armor with gold trimmings tapped his fingers boringly, making soft _'clacks'_ every time the armored fingers reached the table. A glass of water was set in front of him.

"Could he try harder to look intimidating?" Asked Nyx in a tone of utter sarcasm.

Vesper giggled but Edmond eyed the knight warily. A second later, the knight turned his head towards them. His helmet didn't allow them to see the face under it, even if it did have enough space to do so. The two horns of at its top definitely added to the imposing aura, no matter the comments of Nyx. The knight stopped tapping his fingers and raised his glass towards them, beckoning to come close.

Before they advanced, Edmond spoke to them. "The lines written on the picture said he wouldn't harm us, but be on your guard anyway."

Both of them nodded and the three advanced towards the table, noticing now the three other chairs set around it. When they reached the table, the armored man didn't spoke, pointing only towards the chairs. They sat and Nyx intervened, direct and blunt as ever. "Here you have us. You obviously know who we are, so what do you want?"

The knight chuckled lightly. "Straight to the point, I see." He had a sword leaning on the wall, too big and heavy for an average human or Faunus to use effectively, or to even move. "I definitely know who you are, but you don't know who I am. I think presentations are a good point to start." He reached for his helmet and took it off, revealing the shinning yellow eyes that could be seen as lights in the dark. Short, pure black hair and a beard that covered the zone around his mouth, under his jaw and around and reaching the hair added to his relatively handsome features. "I am Onyx Aureolis, the Black Knight."

Edmond raised an eyebrow. "Does the name come from the armor, or did you make it to fit the name?"

Onyx smiled. "We were given the name when we were given the armor, so I guess you could say it was the first."

"Wait," said Edmond, "you said 'we'. Does that mean there are more of you?"

A short look of pain and sadness crossed the face of Onyx. " _Were_ , Mr. Salieri. _Were_. Not all knights in shining armor get happy endings."

"Well, your armor is anything _but_ shining." Interrupted Nyx.

"True." Replied Onyx. "But it does not need to be completely white and shining to serve its purpose. But we are not here to talk about my armor. I suppose you have read the few lines I included with the image."

Edmond nodded. "How do you know about the hospital and me? They didn't keep records at the time."

"No, they didn't." Agreed the knight. "And they were quite protective of your information. The one they remembered, at least. I couldn't convince them to talk, so I had to resort to other… methods. I left without harming a single soul, if that's what you are worried about."

Edmond released a breathe he didn't know he was holding. He hadn't seen the staff in 17 years, but a part of him still cared about them. "I see. And what did you mean with what you wrote?"

Onyx looked around, noticing several people too close to reveal sensible information carefully. "I can't talk too much about that now. I will only say that me and a group of select people I've chosen with care are on a quest to change Remnant as we all know it."

Vesper spoke for the first time in the entire conversation. "Change it in what way?"

"Let me answer that with another question." He said. "Do you really think you know this world?"

"Be clearer. What do you mean?" Asked Nyx, growing impatient.

"I am afraid I can not reveal sensible information in this type of… environment." He gestured slightly around the bar. "The walls have eyes and ears. But let me ask you a few more questions." He leaned closer. "Do you really believe the Grimm are mindless? Or that you bed time stories are just that, fantasies and legends? This world hides more secrets than you can imagine, some dangerous, others even more. And I assure you, Mr. Salieri, that not you nor your little golems are enough to protect the ones you know."

At the mention lf that, the three reached for their weapons, but didn't pull them out. "How do you know about that?"

Onyx leaned back and brought the glass to his mouth. "I have been following your lead ever since I heard the rumors about your existence. And, allow me to tell you Mr. Salieri, that you are not as inconspicuous as you try to be." He pulled his scroll from his pouch and showed them some images of what he was talking about.

Edmond and the sisters looked at them. Most were of bad quality, but what they showed was undeniable: Edmond had the capability to create different golems, and it _wasn't_ his Semblance. "And I also know of the little workshop/moving home that you have under repair here on the town."

Edmond looked at the images and then back at the knight, tense but with a clear mind. "I'll repeat what Nyx asked _only once_. What. Do. You. Want?"

The answer both surprised and confused the three. "To recruit you."

It was said in a calm manner, with no fear od what they could do if they fought him. "To… recruit us? For what?"

"Tell me, team EVN, have you ever thought of a world without Grimm? Or at least, were their threat is minimal?"

"Sure, who hasn't." Answered Nyx. "What does that have to do with you recruiting us?"

Onyx drank what was left on his glass. "I know of a way to make it happen. A way to rid the snake of its head. And unlike others with the same objectives, I can back my words." He extended his armored hand over the table. "Your hands, please." The three looked at each other, confused and wary, but curiosity got the best of them. Edmond laid his hand, followed by the sisters.

The next second, thousands of images flashed through their eyes. A flame. Light. Dark. Red eyes in the darkness. Shadowy figures. A wizard. A witch. A knight. And many more that they could almost not identify. When Onyx released their hands, the three dropped in their chairs, breathing heavily. The knight picked his helmet and sword up and, now in full armor, rose from his seat.

"Wh-what the hell was that!?" Asked Nyx. The three were looking at the knight, still recovering from whatever he had done.

"You are not the only one with a… touch of magic in this world, Mr. Salieri." He picked a small card from his pocket and left it on the table in front of them. "You have two options right now: you can take the Lien and walk away, always wondering if the nest day you may loose the ones you care about."

"Or you can show that card to the bullhead pilot that will come in a couple of hours and he will take you to Beacon, where I will answer all of your questions and give you the option to join me and help Remnant with its pest problem."

Before he left, Edmond turned to him with one last question. "If we go to Beacon, will we be forced to join your 'quest'?"

Onyx shook his head. "There is always a choice, Mr. Salieri. And forcing someone to follow you won't yield the same results as gaining their loyalty in the right way. You didn't force the Aurora sisters to follow you, you gained their loyalty, their trust and their friendship. Would you have it any other way?"

Onyx left the inn while the three took a look at the card. It was a piece of black plastic, but it had a symbol on it: the same greatsword that Onyx carried pointed downwards, only this one had flames erupting from the tip and engulfing it almost to the handle.

A few hours later, a bullhead pilot would have to alter its route in order to carry a 23 year old boy and two adolescent sisters back to the academy at the city of Vale.

* * *

 **A.N.: so, things move forward. I would have written more but I wanted this chapter out for you guys. Again, sorry for the delay, but my mother wasn't feeling well and I had to help her at home more than I do usually.**

 **Now, there is only one new review, and honestly, I shouldn't waste my time with it, seeing as how the guy who wrote it clearly shows no respect at all. But I'll do it this once to show how I feel about people like this. So, warning, long angry rant right ahead!**

 **Sir Attlich: *sigh* Dude, listen. I left this clear when I started writing. I AM NOT PERFECT NEITHER IS THIS STORY. I am here to write to my hearts content, improve and provide people something they can enjoy. You say I disappointed you, 'through and through'. Oh, no! If there was only a way where you could give your opinion POLITELY and give ways to improve to the author the moment you see something you don't like…**

… **oh, wait. -_-**

 **You complain about the name of Onyx for someone who comes from DS. Uhhh, have you even read how he got his name on this** _ **new age**_ **that bases its naming system in** _ **colors**_ **? Then you complain that he is 'edgy'. This comment makes me wonder if you have even played any DS game, where we are thrown into an universe that is only surpassed in edge by Bloodborne. Have you even been in contact with the DS community, which ranges from 'edgy katana masters' to Giant Dads and Solaires?**

 **Then, when you have shown that you are only here to spit out hate, you fall even lower by comparing my fic with fast food and calling it shit. I had accepted that I couldn't make everyone like my fic (duh), but I hoped against hope that people that didn't like it would be polite and constructive with my story. Hell, until now everything had gone great. Then you come along and show the worst side of the internet. Bravo! A round of applause for the first hater of my fic! You made me waste my time and yours, when you could have simply moved your cursor and close the page of my fic.**

 **God, did that feel good. I needed to get that out of my system. Sorry for the rant, but I needed to vent out somehow.**

 **My thanks to Taken Kings for their OCs. I'll try to stay true to their personalities. If you see something you don't like or want to change, please feel free to tell me.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Remember, review and give me your opinion. And please, don't be like this guy over here. You'll get an answer from me if you ask with at least some respect for my work. Good news is that if any others like him show, I can simply direct them to this review.**

 **Have a great day!**


	20. Chapter XVI

**A.N.: hello there! Before I start I want to apologize for a small mistake on my part. I described the last members of Onyx list, team EVN, without the pronunciation of the team name. EVN stand for Evening, so there you have it.**

 **On the actual series, I just watched the 3** **rd** **episode and I must say that, up until now, the volume is fucking awesome! I love what they have been doing up until now and I'm seriously hooked to the volume right now. I won't spoil anything, especially from this episode, but holy cow, go watch it if you haven't.**

 **I will admit that these events make my story a little more difficult to write if I want it to have more or less the same backstory as the series, but I'll make do with what I got and push forward.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Ryan Storm was created and submitted by Gray28wolf08.**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter XVI**

 **Problems solved**

The busy streets of Vale were filled to the brim with people and vehicles, even at an early hour in the morning. Although, if you looked close enough, not even during the night did people seem to rest. The residential district and the higher class residing in it celebrated parties and feasts even for the smallest of things. And in the other side of the spectrum, low-lifes and thugs had their own fun in clubs and shady establishments.

That didn't mean the streets were unsafe, though. The police and even some hunters did their best to keep the streets safe at all times. Normally, dealing with bands and small thievery was somewhat problematic, but manageable. Recently, though, the bands had been growing silent or had changed their usual operations. Crime hadn't been reduced, but they had changed their tactics, centering mainly on stealing Dust.

The police was clueless as why this was happening, but one thing was sure: this matched with the recent robberies performed by the criminal Roman Torchwick and some fingers also pointed to the White Fang. The police wasn't sure if they working together, but criminality was rising and, for now, it appeared there was no long-term solution to the problem.

Even so, the waking people of the city of Vale weren't too concerned about this problem, except if it affected them directly. Sure, Dust prices were rising, but most people had more concerning troubles in their minds, like arriving late to work or missing the next bus. At least, for them, these were their most important concerns, especially in the early hours of the day.

As morning slowly passed, more people woke up and went on about their own business. A small café, open since the first rays of sun, served the clients that came in or sat on one of the tables outside in the street. The waiters and waitresses talked with familiar and unfamiliar faces alike, so it was of no surprise when an unknown person came and sat on one of the free tables outside, watching calmly the people of Vale go on about their own lifes.

Distracted by the busy city, she didn't heard the waitress approaching her table. "Excuse me?" The woman turned her gaze towards the voice. The waitress smiled. "Your coffee."

The young woman in the table smiled back and nodded her thanks. She had an extremely pale skin, but it didn't appeared sick. This was contrasted by long, black hair, with a few strands of deep purple on it. Accompanying the hair, a long, beautiful and also black dress covered her body, reaching under the knees. It had purple lines decorating it, resembling something akin to the branches of a tree. The left shoulder had no sleeve while the right one reached up to her elbow. Two long gloves covered each hand and almost all the fore arm. They were black with extremely thin white patterns as lines on each. Finishing the black and white contrast were two long boots and stockings that covered the lower part of her legs. The boots had a thick soles each.

Her two deep purple eyes kept looking around while she drank her coffee. After taking a sip, she pulled the cup away from her lips quickly, looking surprised. Taking a closer look, she noticed the steam pouring out. She sighed and put the cup down, waiting for it to cool off. Not that she really cared about being burned, but being her first try of this liquid she rather enjoy it as much as she could.

A couple of tables away, a young man noticed the girl. Her entire figure was beautiful, perfect even, and her face had nothing to envy the body. To the boy, she just seemed like the perfect woman to spend a fun day, and maybe night, with. He rose from his seat and walked towards where she was seated. The woman kept her gaze on the street and only turned to look at him when he took the remaining chair in the table and sat in front of her.

"Hey, there." He said with a smile. The woman just eyed him, surprised by the intrusion. "I couldn't help but notice that you were all alone here and thought that I could make you some company."

The woman had seen this happen before. It was called 'flirting', if she was correct. She guessed that the boy had some interest in her, most probably sexual. Realizing this, she ignores the boy as he kept talking. "You see, my family owns a mansion in the east zone. My parents aren't around, so what if you finish that coffee and I show you around there, hmm?"

The woman sent him a bored look before looking behind him and smiling. The boy took it the wrong way. "I'll take that smile as a yes." He didn't notice the shadow that stood behind him. "Heck, I'll even pay for- uggh!"

The young man was grasped by the back of the neck. He squirmed and thrashed around, failing to do anything. The other people around looked wide-eyed at what was happening. He looked at the one that was almost strangling him. The tower of a man was simply dressed with jeans, an undershirt and black shoes, but was made far more intimidating by the large and extremely heavy, black long coat he wore and the scar going from the left side of his face to his collarbone.

"It's been a while since I killed someone." He said, whispering to his ear. "I'm running out of patience and you have the bad luck to be my next target."

Before he could continue his threat, or make it happen, the woman in the table cleared her voice, gaining his attention. She smiled and pointed with her head to the now free chair. The man sighed and let the boy fall to the ground, gasping for air. The people around had turned to look away at the sight of the enormous hammer at his back, with none of the bystanders wanting to deal with a huntsman.

The man sat on the chair as she drank her coffee, now at a milder temperature. The hammer laid resting on the table, an unspoken threat to whoever wanted to interfere with his business. "I hope you have a good reason to make me stop."

"Appearances, Ryan, appearances." The woman spoke in a charming though low voice, her smile unwavering. "If we get discovered and Cinder's plans fail, our Fair Lady will be extremely disappointed."

Ryan grunted in anger. "Bah!" His voice somewhat loud for the type of conversation they were having. "I'm growing tired of the witch. 'Go here', 'contact this other', she says." He lowered his voice. "I joined her to cause pain, not to be some errand boy!"

She lowered the cup from her lips. "I may not be very experienced with humans, but I think you are what they call 'shortsighted'." His green eyes glared at her. "You want to cause pain. Well, if the Fair Lady's plans succeed, you will be allowed to cause as much pain as you want. Just have some patience."

"I am not precisely known for my patience!" He shouted. Noticing the looks around, he sighed and lowered the volume of his voice. "Just tell me there is something I can kill."

She looked up with an innocent expression. "I think the subordinates that Cinder has… gathered are in need of some 'discipline'. I think that is what you were asking, right?"

Ryan huffed. "As long as I get to unwind, I'm in." He rose from his seat and strapped his hammer on his back. "You'll guide me there."

He was about to step away when the woman got his attention again. "I think the male is supposed to pay for the drinks provided in this type of exchanges."

The man glared at her before turning around. "Fuck you, Loki."

Her brow furrowed and she drank what remained of the drink. "Well, that's not very nice." She sat up and left the Lien on the table. "Also, that's not how you are supposed to end the conversation. At least, not that I've seen."

They walked alongside each other. The beautiful woman walked with elegance while the man beside her glared at everyone that strode to close. "You know, you are quite interested in humanity and the Faunus for being a-"

Her hand reached to his mouth and gripped with surprising strength. "Do you want each and every hunter on Beacon upon us!?"

He pushed her hand away. "It would surely be far more entertaining beating those children than doing absolutely nothing."

She sighed and kept walking, guiding them both to the industrial district. "You know, I think that ever since I met you, you've been the personification of a word."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Bloodthirsty?"

She shook her head. "Exasperating."

He hummed. "I would put that om Tyrian rather than me."

"At least he is devoted to our cause, to _her_." They turned another corner. "You do this for the sake of _your_ convenience."

"Whatever." The man answered, not caring about the issue. "Is not as if I like working with any of you either. She made me a proposal and I accepted because it benefited _me_. If she ends up gaining something from our partnership, then so be it."

Loki sighed. "Have some respect for her. You would still be a small time murderer going on between village and village if she hadn't found you."

He frowned. "Fine. I'll give you that. Why do you call her your 'Fair Lady', anyway?"

"Well," she smiled and showed too many teeth for his comfort, a mad look on her face, "she _did_ create me. I owe her my life, just as will everyone, soon enough."

Ray raised an eyebrow at the sudden mad outburst. They kept in silence until reaching an abandoned warehouse, away from prying eyes. Reaching a back door, Loki knocked in a special code. A few seconds passed until a small hatch opened and a pair of eyes, hidden by a mask, scanned them. A displeased sound came from the guard upon realizing their identity. The hatch closed and the door opened, showing a woman with a short tail looking at them.

"You are lucky we are working with your boss, _human_." Said the guard as she let them in nonetheless. "Or else we would have already killed you, you scum."

Loki sighed, _again_ , as a sickening _'crunch!'_ resounded behind her. She turned around to see Ray smiling upon the body lying on the ground, now lacking a head, which was splattered across the wall in different sized pieces of blood, brain and skull. She deadpanned at him. The man turned at her, sounding as innocent as possible. "What? She said she was going to kill us."

Loki rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Even I know that was not what she was saying. You just wanted an excuse to kill someone, didn't you?"

"You can't deny the sound she did was beautiful."

She turned around, followed shortly after by the sadistic man. "It's amazing that _I_ manage to control my killing urges better than an average human." She muttered to herself, as they proceeded deeper to the base, where the rest of their allies awaited.

* * *

A few weeks had passed since the arrival of team EVN, and they had been settling in relatively well. Their small workshop/moving house had been settle in the far side of the campus, away from the general routes of students and teachers. And while some of them had asked or wondered what had been going on, a small message to the student's scrolls from Onyx, saying that these were a small team to help him with security, had kept the students from trying to get answers from themselves.

That, and the glares that the members of said team gave to whoever tried to move too close to the workshop.

Cyane had managed to meet up with Neo a couple of weeks ago, but after some partying and stopping a small gang from robbing them (so much for easy targets), the spider Faunus hadn't been able to get much more information from her friend without bring suspicious. Worst part was that Roman kept his Dust-stealing spree up, and the amount of Dust he was starting to hoard was worrying, to say the least.

Still, Cyane had managed to make Neo spill out a couple of important details: first, the woman that had hired/forced Torchwick was accompanied by two other people, a boy and another girl, though she hadn't managed to get more details. And second, she had made the master thief and Neo work with the White Fang, proving Onyx right on his assumptions.

In Beacon, things had gone relatively smoothly. The weekend training with Ruby had proven that the girl had great potential. In fights against Cyane, the girl's speed and skill with her weapon made her a worthy opponent. While she hadn't won any of the fights, that was not the intention. Onyx was able to get a good grip of her style and technique, pointing out her flaws and giving advice.

And while they were centered on her training with Crescent Rose, Onyx also took the time to help her with hand-to-hand combat. To say that she was lacking was the understatement of the year. Her punches were off, alongside with her balance and the weight of each punch. Onyx was going to give her a fist weapon, the claws that he had found on the pouch, but decided to just let her use the Caestus, seeing as how she could end up harming herself.

Amber had been recovering steadily during this time. She was now able to walk alone and had regained a great part of her old strength, but the Maiden's powers were still resisting her. Small flames, cold gusts of wind and maybe the small lightning bolt here and there were the only things she had been able to make. Luckily, the company of Onyx and recently Cyane had kept her spirits up until now.

But not all was sunshine and rainbows for Onyx. While team EVN had adapted well and Ruby's training advanced steadily, a new problem arose from the academy itself, more specifically from Onyx's room. Contrary to the theories and calculations of Ember and him, the egg hadn't hatched yet. All of the scales around the egg had fallen away, leaving a smooth and strong shell underneath, and the egg glowed faintly in purple, making the people around it able to see the shadow of the dragon inside. It was alive, that much was sure, but the lack of a single crack on the shell brought them to their current problem.

"Maybe we need to open it from outside?" Asked Cyane.

Plat rubbed the back of his head. "You normally don't do that with other animals if you don't want them to come out dead or weakened."

"Indeed. But this a dragon, not an ordinary animal." Responded Michael. "Do you know a way to hatch it?"

Onyx shook his head. "I would have done it already if I knew something about it." He laid a hand on the surface of the egg. "We didn't found too many of these when they existed and the ones we found well… we were at war with the dragons. You get the idea."

"And doesn't Ember know a way of making it hatch?" Asked Platinum.

Ember answered in their heads. _'All of the eggs of the dragons that I've seen hatch have done so naturally, after a time. This one was taken by the Darkness and I don't know how it changed or modified the dragon and the egg.'_

"Welp!" Shouted Cyane, standing up from the floor in front of the egg. "This is getting us nowhere. I'm gonna go see what the teams are doing after class." She walked away, muttering to herself. "Maybe Edmond helps me set up a prank for some of them."

Michael stood up. "My specialty may be the field of machines and technology, but I know my fair share of biology. If you let me one of the scales I may be able to find something. It's a long shot, but I don't think we have anything to lose."

Onyx nodded and pointed at a small sack on one of the tables, containing the fallen scales. With that, they left, Plat going to check if the cameras and spying equipment in the safe house had reported anyone coming in. Onyx and Ember were left alone. Onyx sat on his bed and took off his helmet. He started glaring at the egg, dwelling in his thoughts and hoping for something to happen.

After a few seconds, he was sure he would get natural heat vision before the egg opened.

He closed his eyes and rubbed them. He couldn't think of any more ideas right now. They had been like this for a week and he was getting tired. Nothing had worked: from poking it with a stick to recurring to old stories or biology books. Nothing. He had even consulted Ozpin and checked the cave where he found the egg, which by all accounts now _didn't exist_. What was the Darkness thinking!? If the egg was so tied to it that nothing could-

Wait…

"That is it!" Onyx bounced up from his bed. "At least I hope it is…"

' _What is it?'_ Asked a startled Ember.

Onyx stepped closer to the egg and kneeled on one knee. "We have tried everything, _except_ the only thing that links me to the darkness."

Ember realized what he meant. _'The curse from your time! Of course! But do you think it will work? I'm ready to bring you back if you lose yourself, but I don't know if you'll end up harming the egg.'_

"At this point, we are out of options." Mentioned Onyx. "I am surprised we did not come up with this sooner. Although, a week of thinking and overthinking may be the culprit to fail to see the obvious option."

He closed his eyes and laid a hand on the egg. When he opened them, they were shinning a bright red and an aura of black smoke moved around him. For now, everything was right. He was keeping control and Ember was ready if anything happened. With this, he proceeded to concentrate his power on the palm laying on the surface of the egg.

The smoke around him started moving towards his hand. Upon reaching the surface of the egg, the darkness around Onyx moved through its surface, covering it slowly. Onyx could see the figure inside stir around at the contact of the darkness. Onyx pushed even more power into the egg, hoping for a reaction.

After a few seconds, the shell started absorbing the cape of darkness around it. Then, when the darkness disappeared and Onyx lifted his hand, the egg stopped glowing, but no other reaction was seen. Onyx returned to normal. "Did it work?"

' _With the amount of darkness now inside of the egg, I can't tell.'_ Answered the flame. With the glow from the egg gone, only the dark purple shell remained, showing no signs of life or movement.

Onyx sighed. "Well, it was worth the try." He rose to his feet. "Let us hope that the doctor finds something in that scale that he took."

But before he could even take a step, something reached his ears. He looked back at the egg, and there, at the side close to the top, a small crack was found. Onyx took a step closer and the same sound appeared again, and the crack widened. Onyx kneeled in front of the egg again and watched closely.

The egg moved slowly around every time the dragon inside attempted to break the shell. For a few more seconds, more hits weakened the hard shell. More cracks appeared around the egg and small pieces of its shell started falling off. Another hit opened the hole a little bit more and Onyx could just make out the nose of the creature, which looked to be something between purple and black. It pulled back in and a claw took its place. Three fingers tried to break the shell, while a fourth that seemed to be something akin to an opposable thumb.

With the opening now big enough for the claws, the creature had an easier time breaking the shell. After the hole was wide enough, the dragon charged with all his strength, busting out of the shell and breaking the egg almost completely, leaving pieces of the shell everywhere, some even hitting Onyx.

With the creature completely exposed, Onyx gave it a good look. It was a dragon alright. Two sets of wings rested on its back, the ones closer to the head were somewhat bigger than the ones behind, though it was clear that none were completely developed. The dragon stood on four legs and a long tail trailed behind it. Small black crystals covered some parts of its body, sparkling with darkness inside.

Although, the most curious part of the purple and black dragon was its lack of eyes.

It didn't seem to bother it much, as when it regained its bearings after busting out of the egg, it appeared to look around, finally focusing on the knight. While Onyx had seen many dragons, he hadn't seen any like this, or any offspring for that matter. Onyx tilted his head to the right, and the dragon followed his movement. With the wings on its back, the dragon reached up to the waist of an average person.

Onyx reached out with his left hand closer to the dragon. For Onyx, several feelings moved in him. Hate for all the friends lost, regret for the pain caused and an amount of happiness at knowing an entire species wasn't completely extinct. But for now he settled on giving this creature a chance, as it closed to the open palm and smelled it carefully, as if deciding if it was dangerous or not.

After a while, it was the dragon who pushed its head towards the hand, surprising Onyx and letting the knight pet him. Onyx complied, still somewhat unsure if this was real, moved his hand around the dragon's head. Thanks to Ember, he could feel the rough skin of the creature, and upon reaching under the throat, the creature let a sound similar to a purr, or as similar as the dragon could get.

Onyx chuckled, the situation still settling in. To be so close of an old enemy, and petting it, seemed surreal to him. In front of him was the same type of creature that had decimated great part of his brothers in arms, now acting closer to a cat or dog than a flying, fire-breathing, eternal being. While the scales of the dragon were somewhat cold, he used his powers to keep his hand warm, making the dragon move the rest of its body closer.

Suddenly, the door to his room busted open. "Hey, Ember told me to come here- Holy God Brothers!" Cyane shouted as she spotted the dragon. "It hatched!"

She ran close to the pet sized dragon kneeling close to it. At first the dragon was wary of her approaching, but when Cyane extended her own hand, it allowed her to keep caressing him. Onyx looked back to the entrance, realizing the door was still open. He sighed and got up to close it, leaving Cyane with the dragon. He looked out in the hallway, making sure no one was close, but small laughs and giggles inside his room made him close the door and look back at his partner.

What greeted him at first made him thought that the dragon was attacking Cyane, only for his worries to be wiped away. The dragon wasn't attacking Cyane, rather, it had launched itself at her upon her giving it a piece of a chocolate bar. "Stop it! Nooo! It's mine!" The screams and giggles of his partner made him release a breathe after he calmed himself.

He closed in, the dragon now on top of a downed Cyane, who tried not so desperately to keep her chocolate away from the terrible beast. "I do not think that its first meal on this world should be candy."

Cyane kept giggling at the licks and attempts the dragon made to take her chocolate. _'Leave it to Cyane to turn a dragon into a chocolate addict.'_ Said Ember. Cyane, for her part, had managed to pry the creature off and sit down, extending her hand upwards and keeping the dragon away from the chocolate in that hand.

"Ah, ah, ah. If you want this, sit down. C'mon, sit." Ordered Cyane.

Onyx shook his head. "Cyane, it's a dragon, not a dog. Plus, it has just been born, I doubt it can-" He was cut short by the dragon making a 360 degree turn on himself and sitting down in front of the girl.

"You were saying?" She turned to him with a smug smile before looking back at the dragon and giving him what remained of the bar, disappearing in a few seconds in the mouth of the dragon.

Onyx stepped closer, surprised by the intelligence of the dragon. An idea popped in his head. He kneeled beside Cyane and spoke. "Do you understand us?"

The dragon looked at him, and the small crystals of darkness begun emitting a purple light. The dragon looked confused for a moment before turning back to the knight, swinging its tail on the floor, and to his surprise, _nodding_. Onyx and Cyane looked at each other, perplexed.

' _Maybe it works alongside the darkness in a similar way you and I do, Onyx.'_ Theorized Ember. _'If it can understand us, maybe it's because the darkness has gifted it with such ability. Or it has done the same to us or Cyane that we did to the guard on Tealle when we first arrived on this world.'_

"I haven't fell anything when I touched him." Mused Onyx, with Cyane shaking her head as if saying that she hadn't felt anything either. He looked back to the dragon. "Can you speak?"

He dragon stood still for a moment before shaking his head. Onyx hummed. "And… can you fight? Do you know how to?"

"Hey! I can't treat it like a dog but you can ask it if it can fight when it has just been born?" Cyane pouted.

Before Onyx could respond, the dragon stood on its back legs and let out some fire from its mouth. "I guess that answers the question." He supposed that when the dragon reached its full height, this posture would be much more intimidating, but right now it was kind of cute.

Cyane returned to hugging the dragon, which the creature responded playfully, while Onyx mused to himself. "I think Port still has some Grimm caged here. I will ask him if I can borrow one or two."

Finally, Cyane let the dragon go. "Ugh, fine. But when it reaches its taller, I call dibs on the first ride!" With that, she sprinted out of the room, returning to the main hall with the students.

Onyx sat up and picked his equipment. He strapped his helmet and after making sure no students or teachers were roaming around, he gestured to the dragon to follow. "Follow me. Let us see how well you do in combat."

* * *

Back in the cafeteria, the three teams were listening to the completely not invented tale that Nora was explaining for everyone gathered. Well, at least some of them were. While Nora spoke, Ren tried to tell the real thing, Yang and Lena listened intently, Weiss and Blake ignored her in their own ways, Schwarz and Nickel talked to each other and Pyrrha and Ruby looked at Jaune with worry, as he messed with his food, not taking a bite. Meanwhile, Rebecca was still choosing what food to put in her tray.

While the present members of team LSRN didn't seem to notice Jaune's peril, it was for a good reason, as they had just managed to solve an issue within their own team. It all had started back after they had returned from Vale a few weeks ago, and they had only managed to have a talk this morning…

* * *

 _Everything was calm in the dorm room._ Too _calm, and everyone in the room seemed to know the reason. Ever since they returned from that trip to Vale, Schwarz had been awfully quiet and far too immersed in his work with the nanomachines. At first, the team had decided to let him tell them what was wrong, but seeing as how weeks had passed and no progress was made on that regard, the other three members were starting to get impatient._

 _While the scientist had his attention drawn by his mechanical arm in the table, the rest of the team gave him worried looks, specially his partner. Classes wouldn't start until a few minutes, and with the decision taken, Lena stood up. "Okay! That's it!"_

 _The other pair turned to look at her in surprise, but the scientist paid her no mind. "I don't know what is going on with you, grumpy, but this is enough! You have been behaving more and more like Blake recently, and what's worse is that you are even surpassing her in being completely antisocial!"_

 _Schwarz still had his eyes on his project, not paying too much attention to what his partner said. "Not now, Lena."_

" _Yes! We are doing this now before you drag the whole team down! This is an intervention and you, my friend, are going to listen."_

 _Schwarz raised his head at those words. "What? No, that's not-" He sighed. "Just wait a second and look."_

 _The other three team members closed in, and after a few moments, something happened to the SIVA in his arm. While the hand remained the same mess of cables and nodules, the machines in the arm stated moving and creating something. In the end, the arm was covered completely in several separate plates that still allowed to see the cables beneath between them, but gave the arm a more human look, with the plates being somewhat flexible to resemble skin. It was still clear that the arm wasn't natural, but the plates made it more appealing to the sight._

 _The other three team members went wide-eyed. "It was hard, with the SIVA being unfinished, but seeing as how the final product is supposed to create almost anything, I don't see why it can't make my arm look more human, and in the close future, my hand."_

 _Lena was the first to recover. "Ok, yeah. That's cool, but we weren't here to talk about this." She stepped closer and glared at him. "You've been weird and antisocial ever since that trip to Vale. We gave you time and space but you haven't told us anything yet! So!"_

 _She picked up a knife and stabbed it in the chair, between his legs, making the scientist gulp. "What happened to you?" Her glare softened and she looked at him with worry. "What aren't you telling us?"_

 _Schwarz looked to his other two friends and saw the same worry and determination in their eyes. "You are not going to let this drop, are you?"_

 _They all shook their heads. "Not when we are a team." Said Nickel._

 _Schwarz sighed. "Remember what I told you about my team back at the lab?" He had given them the basics of what happened some time ago, so they all nodded. "Turns out that your friend, Yang," he pointed at Lena, "is related to the leader of the bandit tribe that attacked the lab in a way I… didn't expect."_

" _In what way, exactly?" Asked Lena._

 _Schwarz shook his head. "I talked to her after the trip and she made me promise to divulge the information. You'll have to ask her personally, though I doubt she will talk to you."_

 _The team stood in silence for a moment before Nickel spoke. "So, she is related to her in some way. As long as she isn't like her I don't see the problem."_

" _I want her dead." The other three turned to look at him. "That_ bitch _killed my friends and destroyed years of work. I couldn't face her then, but after I graduate, she is mine."_

" _So we are just tools until you graduate, is that it?" Asked Lena, sadness palpable in her voice._

" _What? No! But I can't just let her go free from doing that."_

" _And if we don't want to help you in getting your revenge?" Voiced Nickel. "Will you just leave for that?"_

 _At that moment it struck that he hadn't thought of that. "I…"_

 _Then, Reb intervened. "I-I didn't know your old team, but would they had wanted you to do that?"_

 _Schwarz turned to her, as if he was about to answer that, but it died down in his throat. Would they have wanted it? They didn't deserved what happened to them, and until now, revenge seemed like the right thing to do. But now?_

 _Now he wasn't so sure._

" _It still doesn't matter." He answered in the end. "Leaving her to her own devices will only cause more pain to the people. She is a bandit and her tribe aren't what you would call saints."_

" _That I can agree." Said Lena. "And I know that, at some point in our lives in this kind of job, we will have to kill something else than Grimm. But losing yourself to revenge like that is not right."_

" _Then what do you want me to do!?" Jumped Schwarz, losing his patience in a way that wasn't like him. "Just graduate and go around life hoping everything is happy and jolly!?"_

" _No!" Retorted Lena, looking directly at him. "Of course not! But if you go around searching for vengeance and killing, then what's the difference between her and you?"_

" _She is right." Added Nickel. "Listen, dude, killing her won't bring your friends back. Look at me." He said. "I hate the SDC, and Weiss isn't someone I appreciate too much, but making them suffer or hurting them won't take away the pain I already went through. That's why I don't like the WF. They are simply proving the world that Faunus are violent and closer to beasts than humans."_

 _Schwarz breathed out and tried to calm himself. A hand appeared on his shoulder and he looked at Lena, who was smiling at him. "I don't know what you are going through. I won't lie, I haven't lost someone like you have, but killing the leader, or even the whole tribe won't bring them back."_

" _But that doesn't mean we are going to let someone like her roam around freely." Stated Nickel. "It's our job as hunters to stop people like her. Well,_ will _be our job when we graduate."_

 _Rebecca moved in front of the scientist and nodded with a shy smile. "Yeah. We'll help you catch her, right guys?"_

 _Nickel nodded and Lena followed. "Yes, but only if you promise to not kill her. If you do it, then you'll become just like her, and you'll let the darkness in you win. Killing may be a part of our jobs in the future, but there is no need to push it."_

 _Schwarz looked at the three of them and smiled back, a small tear falling down his cheek. "Thank you. That means a lot for me. And… you are right, Rebecca, they wouldn't want me to kill her. They only wanted to help the people of Remnant grow and prosper."_

 _Lena jumped happily. "Yeah! See, that wasn't so hard! You can trust us. We are your friends and teammates, and we are here for you."_

 _Schwarz chuckled. "Then the only logical conclusion is that I be there for you all."_

* * *

And so, during breakfast, team LSRN was in one of their best moods. Something that contrasted with the blonde leader of team JNPR, especially after the beating he had taken from Cardin. This was brought to their attention when Pyrrha addressed the issue with her team leader.

"Jaune? Are you okay?" She asked, making him snap out of his small trance.

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Why?" Ruby voiced the thoughts of those looking.

"It's just that you seem a little… _not_ okay…" The rest of the table turns to him.

"Guys, I'm fine. Seriously! Look!" His attempt at laughing didn't convince a single soul in the table.

Their attention is drawn to team CRDL, who right now are messing around with a Faunus in another table, laughing at her and mocking her ears. "Jaune," Pyrrha calls back his attention, "Cardin's been picking on you since the first week of school!"

Jaune looks back at Pyrrha. "Who? Cardin Winchester? Nah… He just likes to mess around! You know, practical jokes!"

"I've noticed his behavior too." Mentioned Schwarz. "That is nothing like practical jokes. What Cyane does to us sometimes are practical jokes. He just likes to be a jerk."

Lena shivered at the mention of Cyane. "Ugh, don't mention her. I still have glitter on some of my clothes from that time."

Ruby returned to the leader of team CRDL. "He's a bully!"

Jaune scoffed. "Oh, please! Name _one_ time he's 'bullied' me."

"He purposely made you drop your books when you were going to class." Mentioned Ruby.

Lena intervened next. "He blocked you with your own shield on a door. It took us five minutes to help you unstuck it."

"And it was hard not to hear you scream when he launched you in your rocket-propelled locker." Mentioned Nickel. "Hell, I was wearing headphones and I still heard you."

Jaune laughs awkwardly. "I didn't land far from the school!"

Pyrrha didn't buy his attempts of diverting the conversation. "Jaune, you know if you ever need help, you can just ask."

Nora gets up on the table with a maniacal grin. "Oohhh! We'll break his legs!"

"Hell yeah!" Joined Lena.

"Please, don't encourage her." Asked Ren in a tired tone.

"Guys, really, it's fine!" Jaune cuts in. "Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to _me_ ; he is a jerk to everyone."

They all turn back to the mentioned person, who is right now pulling on one of the ears of the rabbit Faunus. She begs him to stop, only for Cardin to keep laughing and remark to the rest of his team of bullies that the ears are real. Unnoticed by the teams, Rebeca had finished choosing her food and was walking back to the table, with the bad luck of coming close to Cardin in her path.

Without noticing this, she gives a wave to her friends on the table, which notice her. The next moment, a leg appears on her way and makes her trip, scattering the contents of the tray on the floor and making her hit the ground hard, making a couple of holes with her horns. She tries to get up, rubbing her Faunus traits when a hand grabs her and pulls her up, right in front of Cardin.

"And here's the second one!" He mentions. "Be careful, she might drop on all fours and try to impale you." He mentions with a laugh to his teammates.

Russel, meanwhile, grabs one of her horns and pulls it to the side, making Rebecca let out a small scream of pain while turning her head to where she is pulled. "These seem real too."

On the table the teams are gathered, the other team members of LSRN had stood up, but where stopped by Nickel. "What are you doing!? She is your partner and our friend. We have to help her!"

Nickel shook his head, noticing the change of color in Rebecca's eyes. "Ox is already out. If I don't calm her, she might end up burning team CRDL alive. Let me handle this." He had a leveled voice that made the other two agree, although reluctantly.

Back on the other table, Russel kept pulling on one of her horns and laughing, until a hand grabbed his wrist. He looked at it only to see the face of Rebecca, or in this case Ox, looking at him with a killing intent that could be sensed from miles away. She used her Aura to give herself strength and pried his hand of while he shouted in pain.

She turned to the rest of the team and smiled in a way that set chills down their spines. The smile was warm but the look in her eyes made them want to simply die in the spot. "Good. Now that I have pried of the hand of this _filth_ from myself, is time to deal with the rest of you, _worms_."

With that, he pulled Russel down and kicked him directly on the throat. She let his hand go, while he tried desperately to catch air. She turned to Cardin, picking him up and vaulting him over her into the ground, smashing him face first into the concrete. Before the remaining two could react, she grabbed Cardin from his back and his arm and threw him to the others, making them land in a heap of bodies. The other students around were now looking at the ongoing fight.

She picked up a Dust crystal from her pocket and was about to use it, only for another hand to hold it. She turned to see Nickel looking at her with worry. "Oh, hello dear. It has been quite a while since we saw. Just let me deal with these four and them we can… catch up."

She pulled but he didn't relent. "You know I can't let you. Besides, you promised me that you wouldn't go around hurting people when you didn't like them."

"Those rats deserve it." She said, in a tone full of spite and hate.

"Yes, they do, but I've seen you lose control. And it is not your place to judge, at least not here." He said, managing to pry off the crystal from her hand. "Let the teachers take care of it."

Ox seemed to calm down and let Rebecca take back control. "RAAAAGHH!" They both turned around to see Cardin charging at them. Before he could reach them, though, a hand grabbed his foot, making him faceplant on the floor again. He tried to turn around, only in time to see a boot impact him on the face and knock him out, leaving cracks around it.

Both partners looked up to see Cyane standing over the unconscious bully with an unimpressed look. "Why am I not surprised?" Behind her, the rabbit girl from before waved at the two.

The rest of team CRDL, now standing a few feet away in a safe distance, looked at Cyane with fear. "If I see you doing this again, I will personally expel you out of Beacon by kicking you down to Vale _literally_. Do I have to repeat myself?" The boys shook their heads and when Cyane stepped off, they took their leader. "Oh! And mess with Velvet again and I'll let the rest of team CFVY get their hands on you!" She said in a completely happy and cheerful tone.

"Hey!" Cyane waved at Velvet as she left and turned to the voice of Nickel. "Thanks. That asshole deserved it."

"You bet it." She answered. "Are you alright?"

Rebecca nodded. "Y-yes. I was more worried about what Ox wanted to do to them."

"Well, as long as they end up alive, feel free to retaliate if the bully you again." The three moved back to the table where they were, only this time, during the ruckus, Jaune had taken his leave from the hall for unknown reasons to the rest of them.

* * *

 **A.N.: at first I wanted this chapter to reach up to the end of Jaunedice or the beginning of the Forever Fall arc, but I rather stop here and make the next chapter on those for two main reasons. One: if I put all of that together her, I will most probably end up with 10000+ words, and seeing as how I don't want chapters to be that long, I rather separate it. Second: for the things I have planned in that arc, they deserve their own chapter. You'll see what I mean.**

 **Small note on the criminality in Vale: Qrow mentions it literally stops completely after they take Roman down in V3, so I assumed that Cinder and Co. recruited or eliminated the remaining gangs and mafias on the city. That is what the first part of the chapter refers to.**

 **Now, Reviews!**

 **silkdreamweaver: I get your point and I completely agree. I noticed this when I started introducing characters, but fear not! This chapter signifies the last of the OCs for the remainder of the volume and great part of the next one. Maybe even up to the tournament in V3, so now I can center more on progressing with the story and fleshing out the characters.**

 **Guest: it is only a DS-RWBY crossover. I may do something in the future but I doubt anything will change anytime soon. And I have no plans on doing anything relating BB for now.**

 **Sir Attlich: Okay, dude. We both were somewhat salty and that is it. We are humans, we make mistakes. You bring again the topic of Onyx's name and urrgggg… it pisses me off because talking more about it would be spoiler, not because of what you say. Is frustrating because if I tell you what I have planned would be basically spoiling you the next… maybe 2 chapters. Oh! And I totally feel you with Maldron, bro. He can go fuck himself for all that I care. Make him suffer when you kill him. As for the OCs, you have it explained in the review up above.**

 **For those worried, Midir WON'T act as dog. He is a dragon, but as much as it is intelligent it has also just been born, so it's still something like a child. On another note, I'm going to talk about Midir as a him just to make my writing easier. And I'm not sure in the game called Midir other by his name or 'it', so I'm just going to take this small liberty as like with the AKs.**

 **I hoped you enjoyed! Remember to review!**

 **Have a great day!**


	21. Chapter XVII

**A.N.: hello there! Sorry this chapter is late. I have no excuse, this one is on me.**

 **Anyway, I have decided to do a little section in which I will talk about the latest episode of RWBY. I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum and it will be clearly marked for those of you who do not want to see it.**

 **WARNING: talk about V6 ep4 ahead. Read at your own discretion –**

 **So, Ozpin got punched(go Qrow!) and goes to hide like a pussy after everyone discovers he doesn't have a plan. Fuck him. Just, fuck him. Oh, and I realized the farm at the end has the name of the one at one of the Grim brothers stories: the headless horseman. And Salem is fricking pissed. I would be, too, honestly. What do you think about this episode? Let me know in the reviews!**

 **End of spoilers –**

 **After this chapter, there is only one last cannon arc to go through. I will most probably write more than that, but all in due time.**

 **For now, Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter XVII**

 **Trauma**

It had been a couple of hours since he took the dragon, Midir, if his memory from the cave serves him right, to see the creature's abilities and its powers. And during this two hours, he had learnt several things.

First, while the dragon was only recently 'born' into the world, it fought with incredible power for its size. The first Grimm that came into the arena, a Borbatusk, was utterly annihilated. It charged out of the cage in its signature roll attack, only to be completely stopped by Midir _mid-roll_ when it grabbed the tusks and flipped it to the side. Then, the dragon proceeded to bite its neck and pull, killing the Grimm in an instant.

The second thing Onyx noticed was that, after the creature died and began dissolving, the small crystals in Midir's body glowed and pulled the black smoke of the Grimm towards the dragon, absorbing it completely before it could disappear into nothingness. At first sight, nothing appeared to have changed in the dragon, but he could notice the small growth in the wings and in the crystals as well.

Onyx decided to rise the threat level and released a couple of Beowolves. The dragon dodged their first attack and breathed a torrent of fire on one of them. It appeared as if Midir was expecting something more after the fire, looking confused at itself after the attack. Nevertheless, the other Grimm was dealt with quickly. Finally, Midir measured itself against an Ursa, and something strange happened.

With the current size of the dragon, the Ursa was unable to land a proper hit, but the attacks from Midir weren't strong enough to do severe damage, and the Ursa had learnt to move away from the fire after its first burn. This turned into a stalemate until Midir, after dodging a strike from the bear Grimm, growled and the crystals around it glowed again. Then, from the ground, several strange figures rose. They were completely black except for two white orbs that resembled eyes on what appeared to be the head. Then, these figures launched themselves against the Ursa, exploding in a black mist on impact and finally kilning the Grimm.

The black mist from the dead creature flowed to the dragon, and this time a subtle growth in height could be noted. Only a couple of centimeters but growth nonetheless. Onyx then proceeded to set the training holograms and robots, not wanting to leave Peter without Grimm, and the dragon proved as proficient and deadly as with the Grimm, though that strange attack only repeated itself in cases where Midir was endangered or needed a push in firepower, no pun intended.

During the training exercises, Ember explained that the attack was most probably a spell drawn from the darkness, and that while Onyx had the pyromancies thanks to Ember, Midir may have a small array of dark spells or hexes thanks to the Darkness. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together and assume that the absorption of the Grimm was also its work. If the dragon became corrupted as the Grimm remained to be seen, but apart from the growth nothing had changed, so Onyx doubted it would happen.

Onyx stopped the combat simulation and dropped down to the stage. While Midir still had fight in it, sings of tiredness were starting to show and he rather wait for the dragon to grow somewhat before starting proper training. Midir didn't seem to disagree, as when it noticed the simulation stop, it relaxed and walked calmly towards Onyx, sitting in front of him. Onyx kneeled and caressed the dragon while thinking of what to do now.

Suddenly, the head of the dragon whipped around towards the entrance and started growling intensely. The action surprised Onyx and seeing the angered state of Midir, he rose and kept his hand on the handle of his weapon. He didn't know what could make the dragon act in such a way, specially here in Beacon, but he was ready for anything. Maybe a Grimm had broken loose and was heading their direction.

To his surprise, Ember told him that it was Ozpin, and indeed, the door opened calmly and the Headmaster walked in, with Glynda behind him. Onyx relaxed but Midir kept its 'eyes' fixed on Ozpin. _'Well, he doesn't appear to like him much.'_ Thought Onyx.

' _That may be because of the magic signature coming from Ozpin.'_ Answered Ember. _'It is too faint to be noted by normal people but it appears that Midir can sense it clearly.'_

Onyx looked back at the approaching two. _'You should tell me what you know about Ozpin's history later. I'm still curious about it, even if I trust your judgement.'_

Ember hummed in agreement just as the pair reached their location. Onyx kneeled close to the dragon. "Calm down. He is not an enemy." Midir seemed to accept it, but still growled slightly and kept its teeth showing.

"It seems rather… aggressive." Mentioned Glynda after looking at the dragon.

Onyx shrugged. "Dragons usually were, even if the only ones I 'met' were trying to burn me alive."

Ozpin had noted the dragon growling at him ever since he entered the room. "Have you trained it to dislike me already?" He asked with a small chuckle.

"I heve not even begun to do that, though seeing its abilities and strength, I doubt I will have to." Answered Onyx. "I guess that Midir simply doesn't like you or your magic."

"Midir?" Mentioned Glynda. "It's that what you have named it?"

Onyx shook his head. "It the one word I managed to understand in that cave and the dragon does not seem to mind the name. There was another word that I could hear relatively clear, but I could not make it out."

Ozpin nodded. "This is just a guess, but I'm assuming Midir here will grow to something more akin to what was described in our fairy tales and legends."

"The arch-dragons of old could be the size of a mountain." Onyx's voice was calm and nonchalant, even as Glynda looked at him wide-eyed and Ozpin raised his eyebrows. "But I am not sure what its limit will be. We assumed it is a descendant, though, so while it will grow immensely, I do not believe it will reach such a size."

Clynda let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I don't think any of the kingdoms would have enough food to sustain such a creature."

"That is another rarity." Both teacher's attention shifted back to the knight. "Normally, newborn creatures dedicate themselves to eat and sleep. Apart from a chocolate bar Cyane gave it, Midir hasn't asked for any food in this few hours."

Ozpin brought a hand to his chin, strangely lacking his usual mug full of coffee. "We saw the cameras in the arena activate and watched the display of the dragon and what happened to the Grimm it killed." Onyx listened, now knowing how Ozpin knew he was here with the dragon. "Don't worry about the footage, we will delete it. But back on track, maybe its absorption of the Grimm makes up for that."

Onyx nodded. "I was thinking the same, but we shall see." Midir appeared to have calmed down during the talk but still kept its senses focused on Ozpin. "For now, I will keep it in my quarters and after the classes finish today, I will go to the Emerald Forest and take it with me."

Ozpin nodded. "That seems like a good idea. In fact, we also came here to tell you that Cyane has taken Amber down to the forest to help her regain her strength."

"I still think she should rest and recover, but being forced to stay on a single room for so long wasn't doing her any good. So we allowed her to leave in the company of Cyane, should something happen." Added Glynda.

Cyane had told him through her scroll that she was going down to the forest with a friend, but he didn't know she was referring to the Maiden. "I see. Thank you. I'll tell them to be back soon either way. Amber can barely call on her powers and she should not push herself too much in her state."

With that solved, Ozpin and Glynda gave their goodbyes and left. They waited until the next class started to leave the arena and head to his room without being spotted. Still, Onyx was going to need a place where Midir could reside without problem and that wouldn't be seen by people, else the dragon becomes the cause of mass panic in Vale.

* * *

Down in the forest, a lone Boewolf was sniffing the air. It had sensed a small spike of negative feelings in the forest. At the thought of new prey, the Grimm had moved quickly to the area before its pack arrived. It had been tasked with acting as a scout of sorts, making sure that it was true that someone had entered the forest.

The Grimm could sense the people that had entered its pack's territory, but, for all his effort and willingness, he simply could not find them. Its hate and bloodlust were through the roof after searching for a while. When it was about to desist, he caught the 'scent' of feelings and made a 180 degree turn to find its prey.

Only to be burned alive by a girl with a metallic staff standing beside another one with her hands behind her head.

"You know, even if the stored weapons at Beacon are somewhat weak compared to the ones carried by most students, they aren't half bad." Mentioned Amber. Ozpin had allowed her to take a collapsible staff with a Fire Dust crystal on the tip until she could get a proper weapon.

Cyane giggled. "Tell that to Ruby. I'm sure she would come up with a hundred and one ways to improve each one of them." The spider Faunus had been hanging around the Maiden ever since they met each other. Cyane got to make a new friend at Beacon and Amber had someone to talk with and spend time in that god dammed room that she had been stuck in.

"That's the girl that entered two years earlier than the rest, right?" Asked Amber. "The one you and Onyx are training?"

Cyane nodded. "Yeah, that's the one. She is a little awkward at first, but she is nice to hang around with once you know her. Though if you want her to open up to you, just talk about weapons."

Before continuing their conversation, Cyane pointed to a Ursa Minor charging at them. It was quickly dealt with by Amber. "Well, they _are_ a huntsmen main tool, after all."

"No, no, no. You don't get it." Cyane waved her hands in front of her. "She _loves_ weapons. She calls her own scythe, Crescent Rose, her baby."

Amber snorted. "Really?"

"Yeah!" Both of them chuckled. "Though its not just for show. She really knows what she is talking about."

They kept the small talk while Amber took on the small Grimm they encountered, leaving those that she couldn't take to Cyane. In all honestly, this trip was more to get Amber out of bed and stretch than practicing her powers. While Cyane had tried her best to keep the Maiden company, you could only beat someone so many times in videogames before they got bored.

For now, the small hunting trip had proven worth the while. Amber got to be out of her room and warm up a bit, going back to light combat with the Grimm, helping to raise her spirits up and not go completely rusty in the meantime.

After another small pack of Creeps was killed, Cyane turned to Amber. "I think that's enough for now. We can come back later if you want but if we go deeper in the forest we may encounter some nastier Grimm, and I don't have any heavy Dust rounds on me to deal with them."

Amber nodded. "I think you are right. Thanks for doing this, Cyane. With my powers still weak I didn't want to come here alone."

Cyane waved a hand dismissive. "Nah, don't mention it. I'm going to call a bullhead for us. Wait a second."

While Cyane talked in her scroll, Amber moved to a small clearing where the bullhead could pick them. They could walk back to Beacon, sure, but after the fighting she was tired. And Cyane was just lazy when it came down to things like this.

She heard a sound from the tree line behind her and she turned around to come face-to-face with a Deathstalker. Luckily, this was very young, barely reaching her height with its tail. But instead of burning the creature right away, her hands started trembling and sweat appeared on her face. The Grimm could sense her fear and advanced towards her, making her step back.

"Nononononono…" Her words were but whispers at this point and she could only keep looking at the Grimm's face, even if all her brain was screaming to do _something_! But she couldn't. In front of her wasn't a Deathstalker, but the creature that had taken part of her power and left her scarred.

She could almost see those yellow eyes from that woman, so filled with hate and lust for power. And she couldn't do anything, not even scream, as the other two people held her by her arms and the bug-like Grimm appeared from the glove. Tears swelled in her eyes, even as she tried to resist, to do _anything_. "Not again, please, not again…"

She was brought back to reality when the Deathstalker charged at her. She closed her eyes and dropped the staff, covering her face with her arms while she screamed. The hit never came, only the sound of something breaking. She looked back at the Grimm, finding Cyane on top of it, her sword right were the brain would be.

The Faunus looked back at her. "Amber! Are you okay?" The Maiden still had tears on her eyes and her expression carried the previous fear that had taken hold of the usually brave Maiden.

Cyane noticed this and sheathed her weapon, running towards her. "What happened? Did it get you?" She had her hands on Amber's shoulders, looking with worry right at her face.

Amber shook her head. "I-I saw it… the thing that took my powers. And _her_." She broke down to tears again. "And I couldn't…"

Cyane hugged her friend and she returned the gesture, still crying slightly in Cyane's shoulder. "It's okay. Calm down." She said. "No one is here but us, okay? And I'm not going to let that bitch harm you, alright?"

It was at the moment that Ember send a small pulse of light through Cyane, calming down Amber a bit. She tried to get her composure back, breathing more steadily. "Yo-you are right." She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She looked back at the Faunus. "You promise?"

Cyane could see the small tinge of fear in her eyes. She had learnt that Amber was not one to back from a challenge, and fear was a feeling she didn't show very often. To see her like this meant that the scars from that encounter weren't only physical, so Cyane nodded and smiled. "I promise."

The Maiden smiled lightly and picked back her staff. A couple of minutes later their transport showed up and a now much more calm and composed Amber climbed in with Cyane. Now, Cyane may usually be happy and a little laid back, but she was no fool, so when Amber told her that she was fine and that she didn't need to worry, Cyane knew that either her pride or her independent nature wouldn't let her admit she needed help until it was too late.

Needless to say, Cyane didn't believe a word of that and already planned to, at the very least, talk with Onyx about this.

* * *

The Black Knight was roaming along the halls, keeping watch as the last classes of the day finished. He stepped closer to the history classroom and saw Pyrrha and Jaune leave together for something. It wasn't his business, so he simply greeted both of them as they passed by, receiving a couple of hurried waves. He chuckled slightly and looked into the classroom, seeing professor Oobleck sighing and returning to his desk.

Onyx looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He knocked on the door, even if it was open, and stepped in. "Hello, Bartholomew. How has your day been?"

The professor turned to the new arrival. "Ah! Onyx! Yes, please, do come in!" He said, beckoning him closer. "As for your question, it could have gone better, I suppose."

"Oh? Any of the students giving you trouble?"

Oobleck took a sip before answering. "In a way. But they cause more problem to each other than me." He sat back on his chair. "They have struggled since day one and they keep hindering each other. At this pace, if nothing changes, they will not get through Beacon."

"I already think I know who you are referring to." He said, making the professor look at him. "Cardin Winchester and Jaune Arc." Bart looked at him with surprise. "The other teachers have also said the same things about those two."

Oobleck nodded. "Yes, indeed is them. I haven't had time to go through the reports of the rest, but I think I don't need to do so to know their behavior."

"Mr. Winchester has also proven to be a bully in all fronts, according to Cyane, and his racism doesn't help." He walked to the other side of the table. "And he has taken an interest in making the life of Mr. Arc as difficult as possible."

"Yes, I have… taken notice of that last part." He said. "But the two of them need to improve, both academically and as people."

Onyx nodded and the two of them sat there and talked for a while. Bartholomew still had some works and exams to correct, but the unnatural amount of caffeine in his system allowed him to multitask as he spoke with Onyx. It was at those moments that he remembers why they had a whole storage room just for coffee.

Later in the day, Cyane was wandering the halls of Beacon after doing some maintenance of her weapon in the forge. Onyx had gone down to the forest to see what Midir could do and Amber had gone back under the tower, but Cyane and her partner had already talked with Ozpin about moving her to somewhere where she could at least see the sunlight.

When Cyane had said that Amber would almost be praising the sun, Onyx started laughing, muttering something about warriors and sunlight.

Leaving that aside, Ozpin had agreed to let her out when she recovered her powers. As for the 'episode' back in the forest, the Headmaster had said that he would talk with Amber and try to help her with that. Cyane shouldn't be surprised that Ozpin had learnt at least something about psychology in all his years alive.

It was already dark outside and Cyane was walking back to her room, doing a short round of the students bedrooms to make sure nobody was outside after curfew. It was still an hour away, but she rather warn the other students than leave them to the wrath of Glynda Goodwitch.

That woman could give a death stare that would make a Goliath piss itself.

She was about to turn to the hallway where the rooms of teams RWBY and JNPR were when she heard footsteps. She looked down the hallway and saw Pyrrha, walking back to her room with a look of being completely disheartened.

Cyane walked towards her and the girl only noticed her when she was right in front of her, seeing as how she kept her eyes on the floor. "Hey, Pyr. What's up?"

The Spartan looked up in surprise. "Oh! Hello, Cyane. I'm doing wonderfully, how about you?"

Pyrrha gave the best smile she could, which wasn't much. "That may work with the cameras," pointed out Cyane, "but you are going to need to try harder than that to make me believe you." She gave an unamused look. "Besides, you are a _really_ bad liar."

Pyrrha laughed awkwardly but stopped at the deadpanned look Cyane was giving her with her four eyes. The champion rubbed her arm and Cyane sighed. "Listen, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I can't help you if you don't."

Pyrrha sighed. "Its Jaune. I tried to help him but he just pushed me away after… well, he told me something important but still believes he must do it by himself."

"Pfft, men." That drew a small chuckle from Pyrrha. "I will be the first to say, though, that he seriously needs to improve, and you definitely could help him, better than anyone else for sure. But I'm sure you told him that he needed that help, right?" At the other girl's nod, she continued. "If I have learnt something about men it's that all of them have some amount of pride over their 'manliness'. Don't try to rationalize it, you won't be able. Just roll with it."

"But I just want to help him! I've seen what he is capable of when he puts his mind to it."

"Yeah, well, the way he got into Beacon does need a lot of determination. And a couple of balls to try to lie to _Ozpin_ of all people." Pyrrha looked at her with wide eyes.

"Wait, Ozpin knows!?" The reaction told Cyane that Pyrrha also knew.

"Yup!" She answered. "Onyx and I also, but none of the rest of the staff do. What? You thought someone could lie to the Headmaster of Beacon just like that?" She shook her head. "We are not going to tell or expel him, relax. But if you really want to help that dork you only have two ways."

Pyrrha looked at her with hopeful eyes, though the news that they already knew about Jaune still lingered. "First, you find a way around his pride. A way to help him without him really noticing or something like that. That would be fine normally, but it takes time and if you mess up he will probably never forgive you."

She went wide eyed. "An-and the other way?"

"Beat the shit out of him." Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "Listen, you either go around the wall or break it down to dust. If you manage to beat some sense onto him and prove that he seriously _needs_ that help, he'll have to relent. But you can't do that alone. Bring your team at the very least, because they will agree with you when you show it to Jaune."

"But wouldn't that leave him even _worse_?"

"Well, there's the risk." Answered Cyane. "Too soft, and he won't listen to reason. He would keep going by himself until he can prove that he can do it alone. Too much, and you may make him quit or make him think that he will never be anything."

"What!?" She asked, horrified by the method. "That's terrible. Isn't there a third option?"

"Do nothing. Wait." The Faunus shrugged. "Sometimes, giving them some space works. But those are just options. The choice is yours. I'm just giving you some friendly advice."

Pyrrha nodded, still troubled. "Thanks. I'll… I'll think about it."

She turned to her room. "Take a nap. It always helps me think afterwards."

Pyrrrha smiled and waved her goodbye. Cyane smiled back but when the door closed, she sighed. "Fucking teenagers, I swear."

' _But you are also a teenager, remember?'_ Spoke Ember.

"But I have the decency to act with some maturity and rationality when needed." She turned around and walked away. "I guess that's one of the side effects of being the partner of that metal-head."

* * *

A few days passed and things remained the same with team JNPR. In fact, it seemed that things had gotten even _worse_ , with Jaune spending more and more time with Cardin. What had actually changed was Midir: after a couple of trips to the forest, it had grew to almost the size of Onyx, with its wings reaching to his helmet.

And so, it had forced Ozpin and Onyx to find a place where to keep the dragon. The school grounds were out of the rooster of options, seeing as how hiding a growing dragon in there would be completely stupid and destroy the purpose of hiding a creature like that. Vale was also crossed out just as Patch, mainly due to space and closeness to civilians.

It could also not be too close to the routes of the transports that imported and exported products to and from Vale. The radars would detect it if Midir grew bigger than the size of a bullhead, which most probably would. The first thought was to move it to the south, but many small villages and towns were there, making it hard to reach Midir or for Midir to reach them if trouble showed itself.

Finally, a viable option appeared in the form of the mountain range at the east of the city. It was also the home of the failed attempt of Mountain Glenn, making it easy for Midir to find Grimm to keep growing. The dragon wouldn't be placed in the city itself, but there were a couple of abandoned military bases close to the ruins, which had some warehouses big enough to house it without trouble even if it reached a much bigger size.

Furthermore, if Midir decided to fly or move outside of its camp, the mountains and the usual fog that covered them would distort radars and keep him relatively hidden. If they needed for Midir to come to Beacon, Ember could send a signal of sorts, flaring its light, and the dragon would have an almost clear path to the city.

Ozpin sent a few huntsmen to inspect the installations and found one suitable warehouse. Onyx spend the few days before the Forever Fall trip setting the place, and cleaning it up with the help pf Platinum and Michael, cleaning and reinforcing the site. There were a few Grimm, but after a while, the place was ready to house the creature.

Midir adapted quite well to the place, even if it was quite lonely. Nevertheless, Onyx would visit it every few days in order to make sure the dragon was well. Back at Beacon, the first year students were getting ready for the trip to the red forest. While the forest itself didn't have too many strong Grimm, going unprepared could spell their demise.

Plus, Prof. Peach was very clear that, should they fail to get the sap, they could forget about passing her class. That made most of them nod quickly and make sure they were paying attention to how to extract the sap.

Onyx would go down to the forest with the students while Cyane kept guard, a.k.a. someone had to stay and Cyane had pulled the short straw. Glynda would also be going down with the students, making sure that all of them returned safe... and with the sap, of course.

The sap in itself had quite the high value. Almond Peach was the resident nature scientist and Dust expert, and she had listed its uses to the students in the class before the departure. The trees only grew there in the entirety of Remnant, making it one of the main export products of Vale. But its value was not only in its rarity, but also in its uses.

The sap was extremely sweet and was a great condiment and element of many recipes, but the most important and widespread use was that it attracted the Grimm. Many professional hunters used it to lure the Grimm away from them or the ones they were protecting. The only problem was that it wouldn't affect the Grimm if the negativity was too high or if they were old enough to know the trick.

When the day of the trip came, all of the students were ready and waiting at the landing pads patiently. Even team CRDL, which Onyx didn't know if it was a good or a bad change. But what worried him more in the end was that, when team JNPR arrived, Jaune handed Cardin a box with a 'W' in the front. It wasn't against the rules to bring extra equipment apart from their weapons, but he wasn't sure that was what was inside the box.

The trip in the bullhead was calm and without much trouble, with Onyx talking with Glynda while the rest of the teams did their own thing. The bullhead touched down and the people inside exited to the forest.

Glynda directed herself to the group of students. "Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful." The majority of the group kept looking at their surroundings. "But we are not here to sight-see. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so."

Onyx picked up where she left. "You have already been given the patterns you must follow in order to pass the assignment. You must gather a jar of sap each, and professor Peach will grade you according to the quality of the sap. The deeper you go, the better the sap. The better the sap, the better the grade."

"However, the forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates." Continued Glynda. "We will rendezvous back here at 4 o'clock. Have fun!"

With that, the teams went away together except for CRDL, and more worryingly, Jaune. Onyx sighed. "He really should be with his team, not with those excuses of trainees."

Glynda kept her calm. "While I still have my doubts about Mr. Arc, team CRDL have proven to be… problematic."

" _Just_ problematic?"

Glynda sighed. "I will admit that I don't know what Ozpin does sometimes. They passed the physical test with enough grade, but the other tests were only average at best. The leader of team JNPR _tries_ , something that can not be said from his counterpart on team CRDL."

Onyx nodded before answering. "I may have to talk with him when we are back at Beacon. His overall behavior and his attitude towards the Faunus brings nothing more than trouble and discrimination."

"You know we let students take care of its own problems that they have with one another." She explained. "If they are to protect the people of Remnant, they must learn to defend themselves first."

"I am not saying that is wrong, but what good are huntsmen that discriminate or even choose to not save someone because they are a Faunus?" Retorted Onyx. "They are the defenders of _all_ of the people, not just the ones they choose to protect."

Glynda nodded. "In that, you are right. But even if you are, I don't think words are going to change much on the boy."

"We shall see. I can be quite persuasive." Onyx chuckled. "Or I could simply take the easy way out and put him against Cyane again."

Something almost resembling a smile appeared on her face. "That did turn him down a notch for a while."

The two fell to a comfortable silence for a while before Onyx spoke again. "If you do not mind me asking, why do you trust Ozpin?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Where is this coming from?"

He shrugged. "I just would like to know how did he earn your trust." He continued. "I have been working with you for 5 years and you do not trust someone with ease."

"Neither do you, but not everyone has a magic flame that can tell them who is trustable." Onyx chuckled as she sighed.

She seemed to think for a moment before deciding whether to answer or not. "The first time I met him, he was assigned to the same team as me in Beacon. He was a prodigy in every sense and could beat any team by himself, even the high years. We graduated the top of our class, alongside James and the actual headmaster of Shade. We both started as professors at Beacon, and now you see where that brought us."

Onyx nodded as she continued with the explanation. "When he became the Headmaster, he told me about the Maidens and the Relics. At fist, I couldn't believe him, until he showed me the vault. Ever since then, we have tried our best to protect the kingdoms and the Relics beneath the schools. He brought the other headmasters in, including James when he was appointed one."

She looked back at Onyx. "Ever since then, he has never given me a reason not to trust him. I don't know what you exactly think of him, but I'm glad that you are willing to work with us."

Onyx shook his head. "I am too. Though, I won't give him my trust just as you have, but for good reason. Tell me, has he told you why he always said that he has made more mistakes than anyone in this planet?" Glynda looked at him, confused. "He means it more literally than you think."

"What do you-" She was cut off by someone calling them.

"Professors!" They both turned around to see Yang, Blake, Ren and Nora approaching them. "An Ursa is attacking Jaune and Cardin! The rest went to help but we don't know if there are more!"

"I will reach them faster." Answered Onyx without hesitation. "Where are them?"

This time, it was Ren who answered. "I think team CRDL was in a clearing west from here."

' _I can sense them, Cardin and Jaune.'_ Spoke Ember. _'But there is something big coming their way. Something strong.'_

"Glynda." The teacher turned to Onyx. "Stay with them and try to reach us as fast as possible. Something is not right."

Before the teacher could argue, he used his Aura in his legs and, with a burst of speed that would make Ruby proud, he started the run towards the rest of the students. For a while, he could only hear the trees passing beside him, until sounds of battle reached him. He reached the clear to find a disappearing Ursa Major and the students engaging two more.

Ruby and Weiss were handling the first with Pyrrha and Jaune dealing with the second, with the assistance of Cardin, to his surprise. Reacting fast, he jumped in the air and landed with his sword on the Ursa close to Jaune and stomping it on the ground, cracking it and surprising the students.

He turned to the other one. "Hey!" The Ursa stopped and looked at Onyx. "Hold this!" Before the Grimm could react, he found the weapon of the knight right through its head and upper back. The power behind the throw launched the Grimm backwards. Every eye left in the clearing was on Onyx as he walked towards his sword. He reached to it. "Thanks." He said to the decaying Grimm. "Everyone alright?"

He received several nods. "Good. And as for you two," he pointed to Cardin and Jaune, "we will talk back at Beacon about why you separated from the other teams when we _specifically_ told you to stay close to one another. And don't think the rest of your will team get away with abandoning their leader, Mr. Winchester."

The two of them gulped and nodded. _'Onyx, we must move, now! Something is coming.'_

' _Got it.'_ He pointed to where he had come from. "Ms. Goodwitch is coming with the rest of the students but we still have to find the other three members of team CRDL. So I want you all to-"

"Professor!" _'Onyx, behind you!'_

The warnings came too late as something with the strength of a truck hit him on the back and threw him to the other side of the clearing. He impacted with his back on a tree and slumped down, his sword landing next to him. He shook his head and moved to retrieve his sword and rise from the ground, only to stop in his tracks at the sight before him.

His brain had to stop for a second to make sure it wasn't hallucinating. The flying form of Cardin made it sure that the figures in front of him were real. There were two smaller ones and one that dwarfed even him. The smaller ones, which were as tall as him, had four red glowing eyes and a horned skull as a head. They were humanoid but a tail of bone moved behind them as they attacked the students with a machete in each hand. The greater one was slower but was still giving trouble with its great axe. This was also humanoid with a bone tail, but its head resembled that of a bull.

All of them were black with bone plates signaling them as Grimm, but the beings were unmistakable in Onyx's mind. _Demons_. Demons brought back as Grimm or Grimm with their forms, but to Onyx it didn't matter. In front of him were the enemies that killed thousands or his brothers and forced them into bloody war.

He couldn't react. Instead, a tremendous pain invaded his head, making him scream and kneel, clutching his head with both hands. He couldn't hear the students nor the demons. He couldn't even hear Ember calling his name in his head. He could only see his memories.

* * *

 _Another demon fell at his feet, his sword right in the creature's heart. And it still wasn't enough. The demons outnumbered them greatly, even if with their new equipment they could fell the beasts by the thousands. It was total war, worse even than with the dragons._

 _It all started when the fire started to fade. Fear had settled in the Lords. Except for Nito, who decided that it just wanted to 'live' in peace, the Lords tried to seek a way to keep the flame alit. Of course, the first to come with a plan was the Witch of Izalith. She and her children were masters of pyromacy, so it was only logical that she had found a way to duplicate the First Flame._

 _Or so she thought._

 _In the end, she created a twisted and corrupted version of that fire, and with it, all her children and inhabitants of Izalith were turned into monstrosities called demons. After this failed attempt, Seath returned to his magic, not caring about anything else, though it was quite clear that he hadn't been in his right mind for a while._

 _As for the Lord of Sunlight, Gwyn, he decided to make sure those demons never reached Anor Londo by any means necessary. A great majority of his knights were refitted with a black armor and with weapons made specifically to deal with the creatures. He even decided to lead his loyal knights, now named Black Knights, to battle._

 _And it still wasn't enough!_

 _They had managed to enter the city and destroy the resistance in the way, but the deeper they went, the more twisted and powerful the creatures became. They had already faced several types of demons, from axe wielding bulls to centipedes with several heads, and they kept coming, as a never ending wave of chaos and fire._

 _After a while, the knights became tired, even with their incredible resistance, and pushing deeper into the heart of the demons became an uphill race. Ruins and pools of lava housed the great majority of the demons, others hid in holes on the ground, walls and even ceiling. Others tried to ambush the smaller groups of knights._

 _In a few hours, a coordinated advance had turned into an chaotic battle in several places of the city, with skirmishes everywhere. It didn't help that some of the demons still had some control over pyromancies, making it even harder to even get a hold of the situation._

 _And, honestly, the smell of burned flesh and corpses was starting to be unbearable. Some of the knights had even resorted to throw the corpses of demons and companions alike to the lava. Luckily, they were stopped before too many bodies of brave warriors were lost._

 _He turned to assist his brother in arms with a Taurus demon. While his knights were capable of defeating most demons in single combat, there were just too many of them and very few of the knights to leave his companions to their own luck. He slashed at the back of the knee of the demon, making it flinch and turn. Its last mistake, as his companion jumped in the air and separated its head from the body with a swing from his axe._

 _He ran to his brother and laid a hand on his shoulder as he breathed heavily. He nodded his thanks. "Where is our Lord?" The knight pointed down towards a path on the ruins. He nodded and ran._

 _After a couple of minutes, he saw Lord Gwyn fighting alongside more knights. He reached them quickly, but hey had already dispatched the demons close by. He approached them and kneeled before his Lord. "My Lord!" Gwyn turned to the new arrival with a calm demeanor, contrary to the brutality he showed in combat. "I come with terrible news. Our knights in the flanks are being pushed back and we have suffered great losses. The situation is unsustainable, my Lord. We should retreat."_

 _Gwyn didn't react to the news, only looked around to the remaining knights around him and the corpses from both sides. Fire and ruin covered every spot were he could laid his eyes. A frown appeared in his face, but it disappeared soon after. The Lord of Sunlight sighed. "We have truly failed. Order the retreat. We shall seal the beasts away from sunlight itself. See it done,_ _ **Galahad**_ _."_

 _The knight answered before rising to its feet, a sad look under his helmet. "It shall be done, my Lord."_

 _The news moved fast through the troops and retreat was done as swiftly as possible. Many corpses had to be left behind, so many warriors that would never receive a proper burial. His group reached one of the exits from the city. Before the exit was sealed, he turned around a gave a last look to Izalith. He had lost many friends, and he wasn't the only one. Inside of his mind, many thoughts took hold of him. Thoughts of anger, revenge, sadness and an overall feeling of emptiness for his companions._

 _A hand rested in his shoulder, and he turned to look at his Lord. His face remained unchanged, not a hint of any feeling in it. Not a frown of anger, not a tear of sadness, not even empathy seemed to appear on him. And when he looked into his eyes, he could only feel cold. Cold and calculative, but there was a drop of fear in those calculative eyes._

 _It was at this moment that the knight realized that his Lord had changed, and not in a good way. It was at this moment that the seed of doubt was planted in his mind. He would remain loyal, as was his code of honor, but he would no longer answer blindly to his orders._

" _Let's not linger here any longer,_ _ **Galahad**_ _. There is nothing here for any of us." The Lord of Sunlight walked away, as the knight looked at him._

 _Soon, he followed, but not without giving his last thought to the air. "Nothing… but the bodies of my friends."_

 _At that moment, the knight made a promise to never let anyone else he cared about die to those creatures._

* * *

Onyx was brought back to reality and, for the first time since he came to this new world, he could feel his memories click in place and fill in the holes. _'Onyx! Snap out of it! The students need you!'_

The knight looked up. Glynda hadn't arrived yet, for some reason, and the students were trying their best to protect him while he was defenseless. Cardin was slumped on a tree, unconscious and bleeding from his midsection, with his left leg made a complete mess, something that even Aura would not heal without help.

On one side lf the clearing, Pyrrha was holding her own against a Capra demon/Grimm, showing her fame and victories were well earned. Weiss was keeping the other one at bay with her Semblance. And in the center, in front of him, Ruby and Jaune fought the Taurus demon/Grimm. Mostly Ruby, but Jaune was trying his best to not piss himself, to his merit.

Nevertheless, they were mostly outmatched. Pyrrha was starting to give ground and Weiss was beginning to tire herself up. In the middle, Ruby was too fast to be hit but the demon had a great resistance against her attacks, which in turn meant that the ones that Jaune tried to deliver were barely tickling it.

In a lucky strike of the demon, Ruby was caught and flew backwards, but managed to land on her feet. "We are not getting anywhere with this. Lets pick the professor up and-"

" **RAAAAAAGHHH**!" An shout of pure rage exited Onyx, as his eyes turned red and a black mist enveloped him. The fighting stopped, all eyes turning to the inhuman scream.

Onyx rose from the ground, picked his sword and looked at the demons. The first to move was one of the Capra demons, the one facing Pyrrha. It ran towards Onyx and moved one of its cleavers to cut him in half. Onyx blocked the attack with his shield, only to find the second cleaver moving towards him. He moved aside, letting the second swing fail, and slipped the first cleaver down of his shield, and slashing upwards, cutting the right arm right before the shoulder.

The Grimm/demon screamed in pain and staggered backwards. Before Onyx could finish him, the second Capra tried to reach him. Onyx grabbed his sword backwards and threw it like a spear at the demon, impaling it through the head and sending it flying backwards. The Taurus one chose this moment to show up, and swung down at the knight, forcing him to roll aside.

He noticed the weapon from the first Capra lying on the floor. He picked it up and dodged the next strike, but instead of moving away from a follow up from the demon, he jumped above it and stabbed the cleaver on the chest of the beast, making it reel back. But before it could react, Onyx used the sword to climb, reaching for one of the horns and jumping down, pulling its head with him.

The demon's head was smashed on the ground and Onyx laid a boot on its face, pulling from the horn. In a couple of seconds, the horn cracked and Onyx pulled it away. The demon tried to rise, glaring with hate at the knight. He found his own horn right through the eye, but Onyx wasn't finished. He picked the axe from the demon with both hands and slashed at one of its legs with incredible strength, breaking it completely and making the demon fall again. Onyx swung upwards and cleaved the head off the body with a sickening crack, sending it flying through the air.

The armless Capra from before threw Onyx to the ground and turned him on his back. The demon settled over Onyx and raised its cleaver over his head. Onyx stopped it with both hands and pushed upwards. With a grunt, he brought his leg up and kicked the demon in the gut, keeping its cleaver and raising from the ground.

Onyx threw the weapon to the side and pinned the demon to the ground. He started to punch it over and over, and when the demon tried to use its only arm to protect itself, Onyx simply ripped it off with his bare hands. He continued his beating, cracking the bone of the mask and he kept attacking until the head was completely unrecognizable. The punches sent small shockwaves through the ground as it cracked.

The students stared wide-eyed at the massacre in front of them. One minute, they were about to run from this new type of Grimm, the next, the professor had completely obliterated the strange Grimm in one of the most brutal ways they had ever seen.

Onyx kept punching until the head dissipated and breathed heavily as silence settled in the clearing. Ruby approached Onyx slowly, Crescent Rose still at the ready, though she wasn't sure if it was because the threat of the Grimm or the knight. She inched closer as he kept looking where the head of the demon used to be. "Um, professor?"

Onyx turned quickly, startling the red reaper. The eyes, looking more like red lights in the sockets of the helmets, scared her to the core of her soul, and she could swear that they left a small trail behind them. Realizing who was in front of him, Onyx calmed down and the mist disappeared, followed by the eyes.

He rose from the dissipating body and looked around the clearing. His eyes settled upon Cardin and walked quickly to him. He kneeled and searched for a pulse. He was fine, but he needed medical attention, specially that leg. He sighed and looked down. He rose from his position and called to the students. "Is anyone hurt?"

The students shook their heads. "Professor?" He turned to Ruby. "What was that?"

Onyx looked at the rest. "I will explain back at Beacon. For now, I need someone to carry Mr. Winchester to the landing zone. Jaune," the boy stiffened, "mind doing the honors?"

"R-right away, professor." He answered.

"I-I can carry his weapon." Onyx turned to Ruby. "I-I mean! We can't just leave it here abandoned and-!"

Onyx raised a hand. "It is alright, Ruby. You are right. If you think you can carry it, then do so." Ruby nodded and zipped away. "The rest, grab your weapons and protect them."

He was about to move when Ruby moved towards him, carrying his sword with effort towards him. When she reached the knight, he chuckled. "Thank you, Ruby." Even if she moved it with effort, she was stronger than her body showed.

She smiled and went for the weapon of the downed boy. "Professor." He turned to face Pyrrha. "I think I can help Jaune carry Cardin. His armor may weigh too much just for him."

Onyx nodded, and they departed soon after. After a couple of minutes they encountered Glynda with the rest of the students, including the missing members of team CRDL. She explained how several Grimm stopped them from reaching the other group, most surely attracted by a great wave of negativity. Onyx could easily guess the culprit of that.

The bullhead reached them later on, but the students still managed to get the sap. Curiously, when Cardin awoke in the bullhead, he and his team remained away from Jaune and he seemed to have returned to his own team. The students were far calmer now and Onyx sat away from them, to meditate in relative silence.

Glynda approached him. "I'm glad everyone is alive. Even Mr. Winchester will recover with enough treatment." She turned with a worried look to him. "What happened down there, Onyx?"

He remained silent for a few seconds before muttering something she couldn't hear. She inched closer and he looked up from the floor. "I said: my name is not Onyx."

"It is Galahad."

* * *

 **A.N.: holy shit, was this chapter long to write! Anyways, regarding Amber's trauma, I think anyone that gets attacked, almost killed and then gets their magical powers sucked away by an unholy bug created by the almost literal Satan of Remnant would most probably be traumatized. Just my opinion, tho.**

 **As for Midir, well, you didn't expect that it would be kept at Beacon when it grew, right? Like, seriously, it wouldn't survive the amount of students that would want a ride on it.**

 **And there you have Onyx's real name. This puts an end to his headaches, though I may do small flashbacks here and there when needed. I based the name from one of the knights I learnt was on King Arthur's court. I was also inspired by Kingsman, the film. I love those movies.**

 **No reviews this time, soooooo… how's your day? Good? Good. I'm… just gonna finish the chapter now, 'kay?**

 **Read and review!**

 **Have a great day!**


	22. Chapter XVIII

**A.N.: hello there! So, last chapter, in the fighting scene, I called Onyx's weapon a sword. To clarify, unless it's specified otherwise, the weapon that Onyx always carries around is the Black Knight Greatsword, not the BK Sword. I'm just making sure none of you get confused over this.**

 **\- WARNING: talk about V6 Ep5 ahead. Read at your own discretion –**

 **Neo's back! Took her three seasons, but hey, we all knew she wasn't dead. Still somewhat disappointed she agreed to help Cinder, buuuuut Maiden's powers can be** _ **pretty**_ **scary. I wonder what her reaction will be when Ruby says 'it wasn't me, a giant Griffon ate him during his monologue'. And then there's 'dead people town', with the scary wine cellar and everyone saying they are tired. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but the people died in their beds and some members are saying they are tired. Connection, anyone? No?**

 **What did you think of the episode? It's getting more and more interesting and I can't wait for next week!**

 **I still think Neo should have gotten a parasol like the ones of Kingsman, but, oh well.**

 **\- End of spoilers –**

 **With that said, enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter XVIII**

 **Tracks under the mountain**

The silence that had settled on his room was deafening. The only thing that could be heard was his breathing and some birds on the campus of Beacon. He was sitting on his bed, with his helmet in his hands while he wore the rest of the armor. He looked intently at the front of the helmet, as if looking for something. Answers? More questions? He didn't know, and he was most sure that the helmet wouldn't start talking and give him what he wanted.

The trip back from Forever Fall was silent for him. He had to knock out Cardin (painlessly, of course) because he was regaining feeling on his leg and the pain was following right behind. He noticed the ones that had seen his small slip off talk with their partners and team LSRN, who had found the rest of the team members of CRDL that had ran away.

He would have a chat with them later about duty and teamwork. Maybe with Jaune too.

But he was not in the mood right now. After the fight, the rest of his memories started falling into place. The things he had done in his previous life… and the ones he could have done. _Should have_ done. He remembered friends and enemies alike, and all those in between. Before, the memories he had were more like a dream. Now, they were as clear as light.

And with them also came the feelings of those memories. Some were happy, others not so much, but the closer to his Hollowing the memories came, the more _regret_ he felt. He was bound by honor and duty to serve Gwyn, that was a fact, but there were so many things he could have done to prevent the terrible consequences Gwyn's actions had.

When he fought the dragons, he could see intelligence and rationality in many of them, enough to make some sort of diplomacy or peace talk prosper. But they instead chose to fight them, all because a traitor wanted his own kind to suffer. He saw that they wouldn't be able to defeat the demons with their assault, but he trusted the Lord of Sunlight and kept his mouth shut. And the Curse…

By the Gods, he wasn't the only one that could see that was a terrible idea! But instead of trying to dissuade him from burning himself to prolong the Age of Fire, he kept his doubts to himself and followed his Lord to the Kiln. Then, his memories as a Hollow were nothing more than blurs and bursts of anger and violence in the emptiness that his soul became.

But he did remember the one that finally killed him. In the end, the warrior chose to keep the fire alive, but it didn't last long after that. At least, that was what Ember told him. Then again, a hundred years for an immortal being are nothing more than a breeze.

He kept looking at the helmet. Nothing. It was frustrating, to not even know what you were searching for. To remember your past, only to find so many regrets. So much so, that he snapped. He growled and threw his helmet towards the wall in front of him. He didn't notice the door opening slowly until a voice called to him.

"Hey, metal-head." He turned to look at Cyane entering the room and closing the door behind her. She walked towards the helmet in the ground. "You shouldn't treat your armor like that, you know?" She picked the helmet and sat to his left. "It would be a shame if it broke or if it were to dent. Then again, Ember could repair it in a whiff. Still, you shouldn't-"

"What do you want, Cyane?" He snapped, looking towards her. He closed his eyes and sighed at the look she gave him. "Sorry. I did not mean to do that. But I am not in the best mood to talk right now." She kept looking at him. "My memories are back, Cyane. And they are not what I expected."

She gave him a questioning look. "Some of them are things I already knew or guessed. But the closer they are to the end, the more I feel that it would have been better to not remember them." He brought his hands to his face. "I was a coward, Cyane. Ember and I can complain all that we want about Gwyn, but I was no better. Instead of even _trying_ to help my world, my time, I kept my mouth shut, excusing it in loyalty or the code of honor of the knights."

Cyane kept her neutral look at him. "Maybe I am different now. Maybe not. But what chance do we have of beating Salem if I will cower away at the last second? I am _afraid_ , Cyane. Afraid of failing, of letting that witch win, of loosing you and everyone I care about." He looked in front of him, his eyes lost in the empty space of the wall. "I do not know if I can do this."

Cyane looked down at the helmet still in her hands and sighed. She got up and moved right in front of Onyx. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. With her right hand on one of the horns of the helmet, she brought it back and swung at his face, using the helmet as a makeshift weapon. She slapped him so hard and unexpectedly that she didn't left him with time to prepare his Aura. The _'crack!'_ from his mandible could be heard from all around the campus.

When he regained his bearings and felt the pain in his jaw, he looked at Cyane with eyes as wide as plates. "Snap out of it, you dumb idiot! What are you going to do now, huh? Say that you need to 'atone for your sins' or some shit? Brother Gods, you sound like one of the characters from Blake's novels, and those are smut with plot!"

When Onyx raised an eyebrow, her cheeks reddened a bit. "Don't ask questions! I simply have… informants." She cleared her throat. "In any case, we are talking about you, not me. You keep talking as if _all_ the bad things that happened in your time were your fault, and they were not! I don't know too much about this 'Gwyn', but he sounded like he was a manipulator and a fucking pussy at the same time!" Onyx couldn't help but be shocked. He had never heard someone talk like that about his old Lord in… well, _ever_.

She continued. "He was afraid of loosing his power, but I don't think he cared about his people or you one single bit! When he saw that all the power he had gained was going to disappear, he sacrificed everything, even what wasn't his, only to keep that strength for himself! And look at what that lead: curses, hollows and what not!" At this point, her anger calmed down and she looked at Onyx with sadness. "You didn't do that. You didn't start 2 wars, you didn't hoard all that power for yourself and I'm as sure as hell that it wasn't you who sacrificed yourself to Ember. Right, little guy?"

Ember hummed in agreement. _'His soul forced the Age of Fire to continue, not yours. The worst part was that all the process was tiring. From him forcibly burning his soul, to me being forced to keep the Age of Fire from fading. And you could already see the consequences of that.'_

Onyx kept massaging his lower jaw. "Buf I coulf have fone fomefing!" He was barely able to speak with his jaw like that.

Cyane took it with both her hands, and with another _'crack'_ , the jaw returned into its original position, making it easier for his Aura to heal it. "No, you couldn't because you simply did not know what was going to happen. You trusted someone that you thought had done the right thing for all the time that you knew him. But then it turns out that he was wrong and afraid." She sighed. "You said that you could have done something, but you only say it because you now know what happened. You couldn't and didn't know what would happen at the time."

Onyx looked down, taking in the words she had said. "And you said you are afraid. I am too!" He looked back at Cyane. "You think you are the only one that is afraid to loose everything? We are facing the devil of this world, of course I'm fucking afraid! She has an army, power, allies…" She rubbed her arm as she spoke. "But we are _not_ defenseless civilians! We can fight, and we will win, or at the very least, make sure that she doesn't."

Before he knew it, Cyane had wrapped him in a hug. "And you are not a coward. The Onyx I know throws himself to danger so others can live in peace. You are the one that rushed to save a stupid girl from dying like her parents, who had agreed on looking for the mushrooms she liked in the forest." A few tears dropped on his shoulder. "You have been nothing but brave ever since I met you, so don't you fucking lie to me, and even less, to you. You are my family, and I won't allow you to do this to yourself."

Onyx stood thinking for a few seconds. Was she right?

...

Of course she was right. No matter if he was named Galahad, Onyx or whatever name people decided to call him. He couldn't change the past but he could stop being a coward and change the future. He had a mission, but he didn't have to do it alone. He had Cyane, he had his new friends. Hell, he could even count with Ozpin, although not too much. He didn't want a repeat of Gwyn.

He returned the hug and a couple of tears fell from his face. "Thank you." They stood like that in a comfortable silence for a while before she moved away. "You really like hugs, hm?"

"Not as if you complained." She crossed her arms.

Onyx chuckled. "What would we so without each other, I wonder?"

Cyane tapped her chin. "Well, I would most probably be 5ft underground and you would be doing some stupidity or another." He snorted and Cyane smiled. "But here we are. Woe is us, we have to stand one another."

Onyx simply smiled smugly. "My thoughts exactly." She glared at him, he ignored her and took his helmet. Giving it a last look, he equipped it. "If I remember correctly, I have some explaining to do to the students."

"What are you going to tell them?"

He sighed. "If I tell them the truth, they either do not believe me, or worse, they do, and decide to help. They are not ready to face what we fight against. But this does prove that it can not be hidden forever. When the time comes, they will know the truth. _All_ of it."

She shrugged. "Seems logical to me. Besides, we don't know who we can trust with this." She explained. "I mean, Ember can tell if they will stand with us or not, but opinions and loyalties can change easily. At least, some of them."

"True." He reached for the door. "You know, you can be quite wise when you want. I suppose Ember and I did a good job then."

"Hey! It wasn't only you both, you know!?" She said, acting offended. "Neo was also a great source of wisdom." Onyx rolled his eyes and Ember chuckled. "By the way, do I keep calling you Onyx or…?"

He stood there for a moment before opening the door with a smile. "I guess I will always be Galahad, but I started anew when Ember brought me back as Onyx." He said, closing the door as Cyane stepped outside. "I will keep my actual name, but I will remember my old one. It is my past, after all. Behind but not forgotten." He then shrugged. "You are going to keep calling me metal-head anyway."

Cyane smiled smugly and did finger-guns to Onyx. "Eyyyyyy~. How do you know me _so_ well, I wonder?" She asked sarcastically. Onyx laughed and they kept walking through the halls of Beacon.

* * *

After returning from the trip, the teams were given the remainder of the day to rest and were left to their own devices. The ones that witnessed what happened in the clearing explained it to the rest, leaving only team CRDL away from it, as they were with their leader on the infirmary.

Afterwards, the teams decided to take their minds off the subject in different ways. Jaune had gone away, followed by Pyrrha shortly after. Ren had decided to make pancakes for everyone, with Nora almost forcing everyone to agree, even Nickel, who was, surprisingly, not a fan of the food. Then Nora threatened him with Manghild, 'curing' him from his dislike of pancakes.

Schwarz and Ruby had gone to the forge to try and finish his weapon, Yang and Nickel were talking energetically while Blake and Rebecca exchanged some of their 'special' books with one another without anyone seeing. Meanwhile, Nora and Lena were drooling at the smell of Ren's pancakes.

It all stopped when everyone received a message from Onyx to meet him at one of the empty classrooms to talk about the trip. He requested their presence immediately, so everyone had to drop what they were doing and move to the class, much to the dismay of the two pancake lovers. They stopped complaining when Ren promised double the pancakes for them.

By the time they arrived, the professor was already there, Cyane by his side as always. She gave a cheery wave when they entered and took seats. A couple of minutes later, Ruby and Schwarz opened the door and stepped in, with Ruby apologizing for being late.

"It is alright, Miss Rose." He answered. "I did call you here without previous warning, so do not worry."

When they were all seated, Onyx began talking. "Normally, I would not be doing this, but leaving your questions without answer will only make you try to find the answers by yourselves. Which would most probably end with trouble for all parties involved, or am I wrong?"

Some of them looked away while others whistled. "Just as I presumed. In any case, there should only be 2 teams here, as none of the members of team LSRN were present during the fight. That also proves that you are not very good at keeping secrets. At least, most of you." He gave a look to Blake under the helmet.

"Um…" Lena looked around nervously. "It-it was Ruby! Ruby told me what they saw!"

"What!? N-no, didn't. It was… um…" She looked at Weiss and discarded the idea immediately, just as with Blake. Only one option left. "It was Yang! Yang did it!"

As the sisters rambled, Cyane leaned close to Onyx. "What a pile of backstabbers." She said.

"At least it is only in a small level between them." He said. He cleared his throat and brought the attention back to him. "I do not care who did it. It would have been worse if you started to keep secrets from one another at such a young age." He explained. "Let me clear some doubts before I continue: none of you are going to be punished nor am I angry at you." He looked at Jaune. "Except for you. We are going to have a talk about leading a team and not abandoning your team mates. I may have to make you join team CRDL in their own chat to save time."

Jaune gulped and was about to accept, until Pyrrha stood up. "I don't think that will be necessary, professor. I think he has learnt his lesson." She sent a smile towards Jaune, who smiled back.

' _She seems convinced.'_ Mentioned Ember. _'But I'm not so sure Jaune has learnt, as she says.'_

' _Me neither, but I have an idea.'_ Onyx kept looking back at Pyrrha. "I still disagree, but you are his partner and your judgement seems right."

"Yeah, it is!" Jumped Nora. "Jaune is our leader, and whoever tries to hurt him will find themselves with their legs broken!" She was answered by a _'Yeah!'_ from somebody else, though Onyx wasn't sure who.

Ren stood up next. "We all make mistakes, but we came here to learn from them and become stronger." He sent a reassuring smile to his leader.

Onyx nodded. "I see. Nevertheless, he has proven, time and time again, that his combat skills and grades are lacking. Even if I were to overlook this incident, I highly doubt that he will be able to pass the final exams of this term, and if he continues on that path, it may result in his expulsion." He was partially lying. Jaune still had time to recover the term, but he wanted to see the potential that Ozpin had seen in the boy for himself.

"No!" Jumped Pyrrha. After realizing every eye was on her, she returned to her usual self. "I mean… we can help with that! We are a team, after all, and we will help each other until the end."

"Wise words, Miss Nikos." Onyx hummed, as if thinking what to say. "Very well. I will allow you and your team to handle this issue however you see fit." The four people smiled at each other and nodded. Onyx wasn't finished, though. "But," they looked back at him, "at the end of the term, he will have to pass an extra combat test from me. Glynda will already measure team against team, but I want to see his _personal_ improvement in combat. Correct me if I am wrong, but I assume you will be the one to train him?" He said to Pyrrha. When she nodded, he continued. "Then, you will be allowed to fight alongside him, seeing as how your opponent in that test will be _myself_."

Everyone in the classroom looked back at Onyx with shock. "But, professor, I don't think even the four of us could beat you in a fight."

Onyx shook his head. "I do not expect you to beat me. If you did, I think even Glynda would agree in letting you skip combat class. No, I want you, or more specifically, _him_ , to impress me. Of course, passing my test will grant the entirety of your team extra points in combat class."

Jaune raised his hand slowly. "Isn't there another option? I mean, we could fight Cyane or, I don't know, something easier, like a Grimm dragon or an Elder Kraken…"

Before he could answer, Pyrrha spoke. "If we win, will you accept that he deserves the spot he is in?" Her tone was a bit more hostile than usual.

"Miss Nikos, I did not choose the position of team leader for him, Ozpin did." He answered calmly. "He is the Headmaster and I respect his decisions. If in his eyes he has proven that he deserves that position, then so be it. But up until now, all that I've seen from him makes me think that Ozpin made a mistake. However, you trust him and I am more than willing to give him a second chance. Should he pass this test, he will prove to me that, not only does he deserve that spot, but that your faith in him is not misplaced. In fact," he looked at the rest of team JNPR, "if that is the case, and the rest of your team passes Glynda's exam, I will ask the headmaster to classify you automatically for the upcoming tournament."

"He can do that?" Asked Jaune.

"I honestly would be surprised if he could not." He answered. "As classification rounds for teams are done separately in each of the kingdoms, each one has their own set of rules, and Ozpin is a master at bending them."

"And if we fail?" Asked Pyrrha.

"He will have to repeat the test the next semester, until he passes." He continued. "I will not expel him if he does not manage to pass it, if that's what you are wondering."

Pyrrha let out a breath of relief. "Then we accept."

Onyx looked at Jaune, expecting a complaint. Instead, Jaune steeled himself and looked at Onyx with determination. "Yeah, we'll do it."

Onyx was surprised and nodded. "Good. Now that this is settled, let us go back to the reason I originally called you here." Team JNPR sat down and everyone listened to him. "I would like you to keep this between us. I had already seen those Grimm before and it brought back bad memories."

"But how does that explain what happened to you afterwards?" Intervened Weiss.

"What you saw was a power gifted to me aside from my Semblance." Explained the knight. "At first, it was a curse, but with time, I managed to gain partial control of it, giving me a boost every time I use it, both physically and to my Aura."

The students looked at each other, confused, until Cyane intervened. "What 'dramatic overlord' here means is that he has magic and he can use it."

Everyone went wide-eyed, but the people that had saw what happened couldn't disagree. Normally, that wouldn't have been taken seriously, but they couldn't find any other explanation at the moment, and Onyx had camouflaged his pyromancies as his Semblance. Everyone stood in silence, until Ruby spoke. "What happened?"

Onyx sighed. "That is a long story, Miss Rose. The short version is that I paid for the sins of another. You do not need to worry about it affecting you, but I will ask that this does _not_ leave this room under any circumstances. Understood?"

Cyane added to the statement. "Listen, is not that we don't trust you, it's that if we let this out people will panic, ask questions, and worst of all, try to obtain it, and that would end up badly. You understand, right?"

Everyone turned to their teams and talked in whispers for a while. Then, the three leaders turned to Onyx. Ruby was the first to speak. "We solem- somel- we promise to keep the secret."

Lena was next. "Yup! At least we know it's not contagious."

"Yeah, those red eyes were…" Jaune shivered. "We'll keep it."

Onyx smiled. "Thank you. I know I am asking a lot of you, so when the time comes I will explain everything. That is _my_ promise."

The students in the room nodded in agreement. _'That went better than I expected.'_ He thought. His statement sustained itself for the amazing time of 2 seconds until Ruby asked a question.

"What were those Grimm, anyway?"

Weiss continued the inquiry. "I had never seen anything like them, not in any book or from any huntsmen."

Onyx still wondered himself how Salem had managed to do that, but he will have to discover it at a later time. "I had already fought them, but as far as I knew, those Grimm were extinct." He explained. "My companions and I called them Demons. They were one of the most dangerous types of Grimm, and as you have already seen, they don't take just one form, and some are able to wield weapons." He looked at the students to make sure they were paying attention. "It seems that they have reappeared or we never really killed them all. Nevertheless, you will need your entire team to take on one of them, so do not engage alone. In fact, it would be better if you searched for a teacher to take care of them."

Cyane continued after him. "As we said, keep this between us and yourselves. We'll talk to Ozpin about these Grimm and deal with them, so you don't need to worry about that."

That seemed to calm most of them in regards to that problem. "That will be all. My apologies for keeping you here for so long. You are free to return to your dorms and rest, and remember that everything we spoke about in this room stays here."

The teams agreed and left to their rooms. "So," began Cyane, "why did you that? With Jaune, I mean?"

Onyx smiled under the helmet. "I will admit that I was skeptical about him at first, but I heard of what he did before I arrived in the clearing. He is far behind, but I have seen the determination in his eyes: he wants to be here. My test will not only make sure that his skills in combat are on par with his friends, but also to manage an unfavorable situation."

His tone of voice showed that he had an idea and Cyane caught on it. "What do you have in mind?" It wasn't rare for Onyx to be cunning, but she could sense a small tinge of evil in his voice.

"Well, I said they would be facing me, but I never said I would be the only opponent." He said, smiling under his helmet. "You are going to help me see if he really is a good strategist, and to see what he will do when the odds are against him."

Cyane stood there for a second before she started laughing. Onyx tilted his head to the side, confused. "Look at you! Now you are talking like me!" She kept laughing. "It looks like I'm also rubbing off on you a bit."

Onyx could not disagree with her this time.

* * *

The next day, the knight reunited with his allies and explained the situation to them. That Salem had been able to bring demons from his age to here was troubling, even if it was as Grimm. There hadn't been any reports of anything similar… yet. It wouldn't be hard to guess that Salem wouldn't stop using those creatures if they proved useful.

Later on, team EVN reported that, during a trip to Vale, they had heard about a shipment of Dust coming from the SDC that was planned to arrive on Sunday of the next week, right after the preparations of the festival begun. Platinum wasn't informed on this, but a call to the SDC headquarters confirmed it, though he still felt that it was weird he wasn't notified. The SDC wouldn't let such a cargo go unprotected.

Luckily, this gave them a clue on where the White Fang might strike next, making it possible for them to stop the terrorists. They didn't plan on catching the members of the organization, but instead letting them guide the group to where the Dust was being hidden. The safe house was still unused, but the hidden cameras outside had seen several individuals stroll by every few days, making sure the house was still undiscovered. Those Faunus weren't doing a good job.

After that, he met with Ozpin to explain what had happened in the forest, adding his version to what Glynda had already told him. The story left the Headmaster troubled, and made sure to warn any hunter out there about the new Grimm, just in case there were more.

Their conversation was cut short when Ember sensed the darkness on Midir in the mountain range. Just as they could flare the light to call upon the dragon, it could do the same with the darkness if there was trouble. It would still take them some time to reach him, but the pilot of their bullhead had grown accustomed to their strange trips.

Cyane accompanied him this time and they arrived at their destination an hour later. They dropped down and headed towards the warehouse where Midir was living. Onyx had checked on the beast a few days back, so he wasn't surprised to see him larger than before. Cyane, on the other hand, hadn't seen the dragon in a couple of weeks, and she went wide eyed at seeing it.

Midir had been hunting a lot of Grimm ever since it arrived there, thanks to the enormous amount of them in the surroundings of the mountain. The dragon now was almost three times as tall as Onyx, from its feet to the wings. The warehouse was still big enough to shelter it and it didn't appear that Midir would grow out of it.

Still, Midir now was bigger than a Goliath and far longer. Onyx also noticed several scorched marks on the walls and one of them partially destroyed, with what appeared to be a ray of some kind. The 'lair' was also coated with some of the same crystals that Midir had in its body.

Onyx didn't know why that was, but Cyane called it 'Midir's personal touch'. He was sure there was more to it than that but it was Midir's home, so he wasn't going to complain.

"You called us here." Spoke Onyx, while Midir 'looked' at him. No eyes had appeared on its face, but by this point Onyx didn't worry. "What is the problem?"

Before Midir could do anything, Cyane climbed to its neck with the help of her extra extremities. "I said I called dibs on the first ride. Oh, Vesper and Nyx are going to be so jealous!" She said as she accommodated herself where the neck reached its back.

Midir didn't appeared to be bothered by the small weight on its back, simply walking outside of the warehouse, with Cyane riding on it and Onyx following the dragon. When they reached outside, to the ruined military camp, Midir pointed its nuzzle towards Mt. Glenn while it growled angrily.

Both Cyane and Onyx directed their eyes towards the mountain. "Something with the mountain?" Asked Cyane. Even with fog that covered most of the zone they were in, the wall of said mountain was clearly visible. "Is it falling apart or something?"

"I do not think it is that." Mentioned Onyx. Before he could speak again, the sound of a bullhead in the distance cut him off. It wasn't theirs, as it had flown to a town close by. This was confirmed when Midir growled in its direction. The fog didn't allow them to see it, but it was clear that it was directing itself towards the ruins of the city. "Someone coming here? It doesn't make sense. Only huntsmen and the military are authorized to enter what remains of the settlement, and there are not any missions as far as I am aware of."

He turned to Midir. "Has this happened more times recently?" Midir nodded, making the knight worry even more. "Then I am afraid we will need to investigate. Can you carry us up there?"

Cyane already had stars in her eyes at the mention of flying on Midir. The dragon simply lowered its head and allowed for Onyx to climb on it in front of Cyane. "Yes! This is going to be awesome!"

Onyx shook his head at her antics and grabbed the scales on its neck. Cyane grabbed his hips and with a couple of pats on its neck, Midir extended its wings. With a mighty strength, it managed to catch fly on a single beat of its wings. It ascended for a while and then moved forwards with an incredible control.

Even with the fog, Midir guided itself perfectly. Onyx could feel the wind, even with the armor, and it wasn't difficult to hear the laughs and excited shouts of Cyane behind him. She was having fun, and the knight couldn't deny that it was hard not to, noticing how a smile had crept up to his lips.

While the ride was short, it was nothing like flying on a bullhead. Midir landed on the outskirts of the city with a loud _'thud'_. Still, the landing was smooth and Onyx hopped off with ease, follow by Cyane, who had her relatively long hair made a complete mess.

"That. Was. Amazing!" She shouted and launched herself to hug Midir's face. "We seriously need to take him out on missions with us."

The dragon didn't mind the affection, as it moved closer to Cyane, letting out something similar to a purr, though it sounded closer to heavy machinery than an actual purr. "It still has to grow, Cyane, and I do not want for people to shoot it out of the sky when they see it."

Luckily, the ruins were quite big, allowing Midir to stay hidden in the streets, thanks to the tall buildings. The fog thinned in the city, making it easier for the two to scout the area while the dragon made sure that nothing sneaked up on them, may it be Grimm or else.

To Onyx's surprise, the amount of Grimm was much higher than it usually was. Nothing too problematic, given the location they were in, but it made Onyx stay alert. While the Grimm still felt attracted to this place due to the residual negativity, their numbers were escalating, which meant that something was attracting them here.

They had lost track of the bullhead that had passed them before, but Ember could sense several souls close to them, so they kept looking. After almost an hour, sounds of gunshots could be heard, and they moved to the source.

There they found a small squad of three White Fang members dealing with a few creeps. A man and a woman were firing at the few remaining Grimm while the third member engaged in melee combat. They killed the Grimm with relative ease and kept patrolling, unaware that Onyx and Cyane were watching them from a rooftop.

The spider Faunus was about to jump on them when Onyx stopped her. "Wait." He said. "Let them guide us to where they are hiding. It will save us a lot of work and problems. They may send someone if they notice a missing patrol."

Cyane agreed and, as Onyx had said, the three unsuspecting Faunus led them to an old building which they entered. There were no guards or cameras in the entrance, so they followed after making sure no one was coming out. The inside of the building was as destroyed as the outside. It must have been an office for some company or another, as the entrance was wide and open, with a receptionist table opposite to the door.

The stairs leading upwards were broken beyond repair, but Cyane noticed one of the doors at the sides of the room. It was heavier and in better state than the rest, made of steel strong enough to withstand even an Ursa. When Onyx was about to try to open it, several voices could be heard from the other side. The two hid behind the receptionist table and waited.

Another group of White Fang exited and moved outside, oblivious to their presence and talking between them. They moved pass the door after the group left and found a staircase leading deep down. After a couple of minutes descending, they found another door. Opening it, Onyx and Cyane stepped to the other side.

The view that greeted them was unbelievable. They had exited on a rooftop of an underground building. And in front of them, several more stood in ruins, in which was most surely an underground city. It was almost completely dark, except for a few holes on the ceiling of the mountain and some lights coming from the center of the city. The sense of dread and destruction still lingered in the air, even if it was just ruins.

In the middle of it all, several train tracks lead out through some tunnels in the mountain, and they could spot _a lot_ of WF members working on train cars, mostly preparing and repairing them.

"What the…" Expressed Cyane. "What is going on!?"

"I do not know, but take out your scroll. We need to inform Ozpin on this." He looked at the tunnels with the train tracks. "Those tracks." Cyane stopped taking pictures. "They lead directly northwest from here."

Cyane's eyes widened. "To Vale." Onyx nodded. "This is bad. _Really_ bad. I have seen several crates of Dust while taking pictures, but it's nothing compared to what the robberies report."

"We need to make sure that whatever they are planning does _not_ come to pass." Cyane nodded. "And we still do not know what this place is." He gestured to the underground city. "I hope Ozpin has some answers. Let us go."

It wasn't hard for them to return to where Midir was. Patrols were small and few, most surely because they thought no one would come here, and if someone did, the Grimm would take care of them. They managed to avoid the patrols and deal with any Grimm in their path. When they reached the dragon, Midir was toying with an Ursa. What the poor Grimm didn't know that it would end up being the chew toy of the dragon for a painful while.

They returned Midir to its lair and called the bullhead. Vale needed to know what was going underneath the ruins of the failed settlement.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Asked Ozpin.

Onyx nodded. "Yes. The pictures do not lie and we know what we have seen." Onyx leaned closer in his chair. "They are planning something, Ozpin, We can not let them accomplish it."

Ozpin hummed while he looked at the images Cyane had taken. They showed the group of Faunus working on the cars and the tracks, while others mounted guard or dealt with the Grimm that moved too close. Cyane was right, as some of the crates were open and showed Dust inside of them. "This is most troubling indeed. But we can't let this information spread to the public. If this news spread, Grimm will be attracted to Vale like a flare in the night and the White Fang may change their plans into something more devastating."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Asked Onyx.

"We wait." That's the answer Onyx feared he would give. "By what we see in the images, they seem to be barely starting, and those tracks have been closed for several years, not to mention the amount of Grimm in them."

"But we can't do nothing and just wait for them to finish!" This time, it was Cyane who spoke.

Glynda nodded. "I agree with them this time. It would be better if we made sure the White Fang was stopped."

"And they will be." Answered Ozpin. "But, right now, we have the advantage. If we stop them now, they will be able to reorganize and strike in a different way. And this time, we won't know what they are planning." Ozpin continued. "I'm not saying that we let them act freely, but we must wait for the right time to stop them."

"And I am guessing that if we warn the council, they will send everyone to stop them, right?" Asked Onyx, to which Ozpin nodded. "Whatever the case, I am not going to stand idle and wait. I do not disagree that we can wait and try to catch the heads of the operation, but we still do not know what they are planning exactly. I already have a way of getting the information we need, if the White Fang act as I think they will."

Ozpin took a sip of his coffee. "I won't stop you, but be careful down in the city. We can't afford collateral damage." Onyx rose from his chair and walked to the elevator along Cyane, but was stopped by Ozpin. "I'm surprised that you agreed with me. I thought you would have tried to persuade into action early than needed."

Onyx looked back at him. "I am not reckless, Ozpin. I know that just stopping this operation will change little of the situation we are in. But we still do not know the full picture of their plans, and I plan on finding out." The elevator doors opened and they stepped in. "I am simply acting less directly, unlike you. If something happens, I will have my conscience clear."

"Will you, Ozpin?" With that, the elevator doors closed and left the room in silence.

* * *

A couple of weeks had passed and the end of the term was growing near. The SDC cargo would arrive this weekend and the preparations of the festival had begun on Vale. That brought troubles in it of itself, as security both in Beacon and the city had to be reinforced, and Onyx, being the Chief of Security in the academy, was tasked with making sure everything was in place.

The other two festival that Onyx had lived through since he arrived at Remnant were hosted by other kingdoms, making his job on the academy almost minimal. But now the paperwork accumulated on his desk and he was loathing every moment of it. Luckily, Michael had agreed to help him in what he could. When the man had told him that he liked paperwork, Onyx was about to ask Ember to check if Michael had suffered some kind of brain damage.

As for the teams, JNPR had decided to spend a calm weekend, maybe going out to Vale if they felt like it. Lena had decided to accompany team RWBY down to Vale, while Nickel and Reb going to a few shops separately. Besides, Nickel had been contracted to play in club on Saturday, so he was also going to drop by to make sure everything was ready. Everyone else was invited for free the day of the concert, of course.

Ruby and Schwarz had agreed to finish his weapon on Sunday. With the exams coming up, they hadn't had much time to progress, but only a few finishing touches were needed for it to be done. Before they went down to Vale, Yang and Ruby had decided to invite Cyane, and seeing a way out from the paperwork, she agreed almost instantly, even if Blake as still wary of her.

They had arrived at Vale soon after and now they were walking down the streets, admiring the preparations for the upcoming festival. For some reason, Weiss had decided to lead them to the docks. "Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?" Asked Yang.

"Ugh, they smell like fish!" Said Ruby as she covered her nose.

"No! The _docks_ smell like _fish_!? How is that even possible!?" Said Cyane with a mocking tone, to which Ruby pouted.

Weiss was later caught in her machinations, as Blake revealed her ingenious plan on spying on the arriving students to get the upper hand in the tournament. They kept walking until they reached a crashed Dust shop with yellow tape and several policemen in the scene. Cyane frowned, with a very clear idea of who had done it.

"What happened here?" Asked Ruby, making the detective turn and answer.

"Robbery. Second Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle." As his partner approached, so did Cyane.

"Let me guess: they only took the Dust." The two detectives turned to her, somewhat surprised she was right.

"Yeah." He turned to his friend. "Do you think it was the White Fang?"

"I think we don't get paid enough." Cyane sighed. If this was what the Vale Police Department had as detectives, she was very disappointed.

"Hmph! The White Fang" Said Weiss, crossing her arms. "What an awful bunch of degenerates!"

Blake turned to her. "What's your problem?"

"My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane."

Blake now looked even more angered at the Heiress. "The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're a collection of misguided Faunus."

Weiss looked at her in disbelief. "Misguided? They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!"

Blake kept arguing, though. "So then they're very misguided. Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale!"

Lena stepped in between the two. "Okay, okay! Calm down, you are going to get nowhere fighting like this."

Ruby hummed. "Blake's got a point. Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago" She added. "Maybe it was him."

"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum." Weiss still kept at it. "Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal."

Before Blake could say anything, a voice got their attention. "Hey, stop that Faunus!"

The team and the two friends closed to the docks to see what was going on. A monkey Faunus appeared to have got into the boat as a stowaway and then managed to escape the sailors, throwing a banana peel at one of them and running away right in front of the team.

"Well, Weiss," begun Yang, "you wanted to see the competition, and there it goes…"

The Heiress reacted fast after the comment and the sudden realization "Quick! We have to observe him!"

They all went after the runaway Faunus, only to be stopped as Weiss collided with someone. "No, he got away!"

Yang looked under Weiss, were the person she had crashed into still remained. "Uhh... Weiss?" She pointed underneath her.

Weiss looks down to the girl beneath her, and is startled at realizing she still was lying on the girl. She hastily gets up, but the other girl remains on the ground. "Sal-u-ta-tions!"

Everyone kept their eyes on the weird girl. Suddenly, the voice of Ember appears in Cyane's head. _'This girl is… strange. Her soul feels weird. Be careful, Cyane.'_

Ruby was the first to react. "Um... hello."

Her sister follow by, asking the question is everyone's heads. "Are you... okay?"

The girl had short, rather curly orange hair and she wore a pink bow on the back of her head. Her green eyes were bright and her skin was light with a few freckles in her face. She wore a whitish-gray old-fashioned blouse with short gray feminine overalls, as well as a black and green collar with a matching pair of stockings. "I'm wonderful! Thank you for asking."

"You're still on the ground, you know?" Said Lena. The weird girl nodded, as if nothing was wrong with that. She and Yang looked at each other. "Do you… wanna get up?"

The strange girl seems to think of it for a moment before smiling and answering. "Yes!" In a swift motion, the girl leaps to her feet, and the six people around her step back. "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Ruby was the first to greet Penny. "Hi Penny. I'm Ruby."

Her team followed shortly after. First Weiss, then Blake and finally, Yang. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Blake and Lena elbowed her at the same time. "Oh, I'm Yang."

"I'm Lena, and this Cyane." She pointed at the Faunus, who waved at Penny.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" She didn't seem to realize she had repeated herself, and she didn't seem to care when Weiss called her on it.

Weiss then apologize for running into her and they all waved her goodbyes at the girl. "Take care, friend!"

When the waked away from Penny, the Heiress returned to her mission of finding the escaped Faunus, only to almost bump again into Penny. Instead of directing herself to the comment Yang had made a moment ago, she turned to Ruby and addressed her. "Am I really your friend?"

"Umm…" Ruby looked over the shoulder of the girl. Her team were giving her negatives, with Lena and Cyane giving a thumbs up and nodding just to mess around. "Y-Yeah, sure! Why not?"

The answer made time for Ruby's friends to stop for a moment, only reboot itself a second later with WBY falling to the ground and Lena and Cyane holding each other in pure laughter.

* * *

 **A.N.: I know it's a weird place to end the chapter, but I didn't want this to go for too long.**

 **I've been thinking recently about a name for Onyx's group, but I want to know if you guys have any ideas. Post them on the reviews or PM with ideas if you want. It's not necessary but I would like to see if some of you can come up with a name for the team.**

 **Now, Reviews!**

 **ODSTFRymann: thank you! I took it from names of old english knights.**

 **Greer123: yeah, I would be like her too, if that happened to me.**

 **With this chapter done, there are maybe 1 or 2 more until the end of this volume. Afterwards, I may put this story on hiatus to start another one. This does NOT mean I'm abandoning this story, just that I want to try to write other characters and stories. I'm still undecided on which of my ideas to write about, but I will do a small sneak-peek on the last chapter of this volume. Again, I'm** _ **not**_ **leaving this story, just starting another one and giving this one a rest.**

 **I hope you enjoyed! Remember to review!**

 **Have a great day!**


	23. Chapter XIX

**A.N.: hello there! Been a rather uneventful week. I caught a cold that made me want to be dead, but I got close enough by being in bed during the entirety of the week. No classes, though, so not all things are bad.**

 **\- Warning: talk about ep6 from V6 ahead. Read at your own discretion. –**

 **So, the farms hid a group of Grimm. I was expecting something, but definitely not tjose creepy bastards. Seriously, those things are something from the stuff of nightmares. Oh! And Qrow is back to drinking. Bad Qrow, bad! And finally, Ms. Calaveira (I think it's written like this?) was a silver eyed warrior. Things just keep getting more and more interesting.**

 **What did you guys thought about the episode?**

 **End of spoilers**

 **Now, on with the chapter!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter XIX**

"You ignorant little _brat_!"

"Well, that escalated quickly." Lena said to Cyane leaning close to the spider Faunus. The group had been talking with Penny for a minute when Weiss and Blake had turned the conversation to the Faunus and the White Fang.

While Cyane had grown to ignore the words of hate against her or the Faunus, the situation was getting slowly on her nerves. Not only because of what Weiss was saying about the Faunus in front of her, but because it was obvious that Blake hadn't told her team about her Faunus heritage, at least not to Weiss.

" _You_ are a judgmental little girl!" While she was lost in thought, Blake and Weiss kept arguing.

"What in the world makes-?" Cyane stepped between the two before they could continue.

"Okay, enough!" She shouted and turned to face Blake. "You and I are going to have a small talk, _now_." Before she could protest, Cyane grabbed her by the arm and moved her away from the group and the few people around.

Blake managed to pry her arm off and glare at Cyane. "What do you want?"

"Oh, I don't know, you tell me!" She said, returning the glare. "They don't know jack shit about you being a Faunus, do they?"

Blake relented and looked away. "Why do you care about what I do?"

Cyane sighed. "Honestly, I don't. But Ruby and Yang are nice, and while Weiss has her… defects, I've seen her dedication and effort. When I heard that a Schnee was coming to Beacon, I expected much worse, in truth." She looked back at Blake. "Don't you think that, at least, Ruby and Yang deserve to know?"

Blake reached for her bow, but didn't take it away. "I don't want them to judge me for what I am, but for who I am. And how do you think they will take that I was a White Fang member?"

Cyane raised an eyebrow. "Really, that's it?" She said in a bored tone. "That's the worst excuse I've ever heard. Look at me." She said, extending her arms and spider legs. "I have two extra eyes and four spider legs, and apart from a few assholes here and there, everyone is nice to me at Beacon. You have two cat ears. The worst thing that will happen is that someone asks to pet them. Besides, how long do you think a bow can hide your ears?"

Blake rubbed her arm. "It's not the same. You work under Onyx and Ozpin, I'm just a student. And I hoped that I could…"

Blake didn't finish the thought, making Cyane deadpan at her. She then looked behind the other Faunus to the rest, of the group that was waiting for them. "Look, do whatever you want, however, _when_ they discover what you are, they _will_ judge you, but for keeping that a secret, not for being a Faunus."

With that, she walked back to the group, leaving Blake to her own thoughts for a while. When she returned to the group, Weiss decided that this was the moment to continue their discussion, all the way back to Beacon.

Suffice to say, Blake kept her secret to herself, though Cyane had a feeling it wouldn't last long.

* * *

 _Clack, clack, clack, clack._

Onyx tapped his fingers on the table as he waited. Platinum was organizing some files on his scroll, while Vesper and Nyx played games on theirs. Edmond was listening to music on his headphones, with his eyes closed and moving his head slightly. Thanks to his hearing and the use of Aura on his ears, Onyx realized it was classical music.

While thanks to Ember, physical meetings like this were unnecessary, it made a few things easier, like using scrolls or documents, even if with Ember the conversation was made much quicker. Besides, they all felt more comfortable like this.

After a few minutes, three sets of steps could be heard outside the room. Luckily for them, the teachers spent more time on classes and on their offices, which were away from his own. This made these meetings relatively safe, and when the two AKs were present outside, they managed to keep the reunions secret and away from prying eyes.

The door opened and Michael stepped in, his two androids moved to the sides of the door. "Sorry for being late, I got stuck with a small creation of mine."

Onyx nodded and Vesper tapped Edmond's shoulder, making him open his eyes and stopping the music. "Good. Now that we are all here, let us begin. Plat, what do we know about the shipment coming on Sunday?"

Platinum opened some files on his scroll and started explaining. "So, we all know that the Vytal Festival will be celebrated here at Vale this year. And all in this room know about the robberies of Dust performed by Roman Torchwick and the White Fang. Due to this, the council of Vale has requested quite the shipment of Dust from the SDC. According to my sources in the company, several tons of low-grade Dust for common use and a few of higher quality Dust for more specific uses." When he started reading the next few lines he waved his hand in the air boringly. "All sold in a 'friendly price' from the SDC to Vale, of course."

"Yeah, yeah." Spoke Nyx. "We all know what you mean, owl. The SDC only cares about profit, even if it means killing people."

A tired laugh escaped Plat. "Heh. You don't need to tell _me_ that." He adjusted his hat. "In any case, the shipment will arrive by sea and will reach the docks at 11:30 p.m. and will unload the cargo immediately. That is, if they aren't attacked by Grimm on they way. With the firepower of the escorts the shipment _will_ arrive to Vale, but they will begin the trip back to Atlas right after the Dust is on the docks."

"I don't see any problem with that." Said Edmond. "But I'm sure that's not all, right?"

"I wouldn't have called you here if all seemed right." Agreed Plat. "Here is where things start to get weird. The security at the docks is supposed to be reinforced that night until 6:00 a.m. in Monday, when the Council will arrive and take the Dust to a safer location for later distribution to the city. The problem is that _all_ of the officers in charge have been or are being investigated for cases of corruption, and the same goes for many of the men and women at their service."

"And thanks to doc here," he pointed at Michael, "we managed to… obtain the information of their accounts from the Bank of Vale. We weren't surprised when we found payments on their accounts that didn't match with their line of work. It took a while but we managed to track the Lien back to several fake accounts, some of them lead back to Roman in different ways."

"So he has bribed everyone to be out of the docks?" Asked Edmond. "And he hasn't encountered people that refused?"

"Of course, but they were dealt with." Explained Plat. "None of them are dead, thankfully. It would attract too much attention if that were to happen. Instead, some were assaulted and sent to the hospital, others had similar 'accidents' in recent days, making it easy to change them to more easily swayed people."

"So they have free access to the docks and the White Fang has enough manpower to organize such a strike." Summarized Onyx. He brought a hand to his chin. "Nevertheless, they still need a way to transport that amount of Dust to where they are hiding it."

"Mount Glenn, right?" Asked Vesper. "You said that Midir had seen several White Fang coming and going from the ruins, and you and Cyand saw the Dust under the city."

"I'm still pissed Cyane managed to ride it first." Grumbled Nyx.

Edmond smiled. "You know, what you just said could be taken _very_ differently."

Nyx face went red as a cherry and punched his shoulder while the room was filled with laughter. "S-Shut up, you jerk."

Onyx stopped laughing. "Jokes aside, the Dust that we found there was nothing compared to what we know they have stolen. They must be hiding it somewhere else where they can keep it away without being found and with enough space to keep such an amount."

"That's where I come in." Said Michael. "I have created a small tracking device that will guide us to wherever they are taking the Dust, as long as it is inside the range of the CCT. Though my supposition is that they will be using bullheads."

Plat nodded. "It's the easier way to transport it and the White Fang has proven to use them in many of their attacks against their objectives, both as transport and as aerial support."

"So we take the device and stick it to one of the bullheads and then follow them back to their headquarters." Said Nyx. "Sounds simple enough. It's not as if those grunts of the WF are too much of a threat to any of us."

"Simple, yes. Easy, no." Clarified Onyx. "Some of the heads of the organization are no laughing matter. And as far as I am aware, we may run into the agents of Salem. I am almost certain that this is her doing, or at the very least, of one of her followers." Onyx closed his eyes as he reminisced. "I fought them, and while I can defeat them easily, the rest of you may be in trouble if you engage them."

"So what do you propose we do?" Asked Edmond. "We can't simply let them leave with the Dust."

"And we will not." Answered Onyx. "We only need for one of the transports to make it back to their base. The rest can be dealt with, which would prevent them from stealing too much Dust and if we capture some of them, we can get more information if the device doesn't work."

"That still leaves us with how do we plan to deal with the WF when we encounter them in the docks." Argued Edmond. "We don't know how many of them we are going to be facing and if one of those agents shows up we might run into trouble with the plan."

"That is the other point for this meeting." Explained Onyx. "If we are to be victorious on this endeavor, we need a plan. For now, we need someone at the docks ready to warn us when the robbery begins. The rest of us must be ready for when that happens, which means we must be at Vale and close to the docks."

"I can do the scouting part. I can hide easily with my Semblance, specially during the night." Plat volunteered himself.

"While I don't like people handling my inventions and tools, I can make an exception here." Michael grabbed the small tracker from his pocket an d placed it on the table. The machine fitted in the palm of the hand and looked like the half of a sphere. "The tracker is simple: it will magnetize to the closest metal surface and will automatically activate when it has been stuck. You only need to close the straight side to whatever transport they use and the device will do the rest."

"I can take care of that. If you buy me a few seconds, I can mark the transport easily." Mentioned Edmond.

"Then we'll go with you." Added Vesper, with her sister nodding along.

But Onyx shook his head. "I would prefer if you three take care of another matter. While you three are incredibly strong when you are together, Vesper can not use her Semblance in the middle of Vale. So you three will act as a distraction." The team of three looked at the knight with questioning looks. "When we attack their forces, they are bound to call in reinforcements. When that happens, you three will deal with them, thinning their forces and giving us time to stop the robbery of the crates and capture anyone that may have information." He looked at Vesper. "I would rather you do not use your Semblance, but if you do, focus _only_ on the White Fang. We do not want to attract Grimm to the city."

Edmond hummed in thought. "He is right, and I don't think any of us will complain about dealing with some White Fang assholes."

"Can we kill them?" Asked Nyx. Everyone turned their eyes to her. "What? Is not as if the police could imprison all of them at once."

Onyx nodded. "While normally such a bloodshed inside of Vale should be avoided, we can't risk their plans succeeding. Deal with them how you see fit."

"So who is going to place the device then?" Asked Vesper.

Onyx closed his eyes and hummed. "I think Cyane can take care of the tracker. Michael," the man in question turned to Onyx, "someone needs to do damage control. I want you to stay close and record everything that you can. We may find something we missed during the attack that might help us, and if things get dire, you and your robots can act as backup or warn the authorities."

Michael nodded. "Seems logical. What about Ozpin?"

"Even if we warn him about the incoming attack, I doubt we can convince him to act in time." Onyx sighed. "He has the bad habit of reacting instead of dealing with problems more aggressively."

Plat suddenly realized something. "We can make use of the safe house!" Everyone looked at him curiously. "If we fail to activate the device or if their base is outside of the range of the CCT, we can force some of them into the city and trap them when they reach the house."

Edmond nodded. "It's a good plan B, if everything else fails."

"I agree." Said Michael. "By the way, where is Cyane? I know Ember can inform her, but I thought she would have been here."

"She is down in Vale with team RWBY and Lena. They have grown close during this first term." Explained Onyx. "While I would have liked for her to be present here, it has been a while since she had time to go down to the city. I trust her to not cause _too much_ trouble."

"Very well. I think we have everything ready for this weekend. Ladies, gentlemen." With a tip of his hat, Plat rose from his chair and exited the room.

"You know, it's quite strange when he turns back into the high-society persona." Mentioned Michael. "He is quite different when you get to know him."

Nyx smiled. "Meh, for someone that works for the SDC he is not half bad."

Michael left but Edmond turned to Onyx. "What do you know about their pasts?"

Onyx raised an eyebrow. "Well, for Michael, almost nothing, but Ember is sure he honest and loyal. But I do know about Platinum. In any case, you should ask them, not me."

Edmond shrugged. "I have the feeling they won't tell me. Michael doesn't seem bad, but I have learnt not to trust the extremes. In this case, the SDC or the White Fang."

Onyx shook his head. "He is trustable, if that is what you are wondering. I will tell you that he was born in Atlas and he has spent most of his life there, but if you want more details about it, you should ask him. I have not revealed anything about you or the sisters. While I value honesty, some things are yours to reveal, not mine. Same goes for the rest."

Edmond raised his hands defensively. "I just wanted to make sure they won't backstab us. If Ember is sure, then fine with me."

With that, team EVN exited the room and left Onyx alone. _'That still leaves us with the Problem of Roman and Neo. I don't think Cyane would like to have to face them, or worse, to take them down.'_ Ember voiced his thoughts.

Onyx nodded. "I know. I may not care about Roman too much, but Neo is Cyane's best friend."

' _How do we deal with them, then?'_

Onyx frowned. "We shall cross that bridge when we reach it. For now, I will try to get them away from the clutches of the one that has them under her thumb. If that does not work, well…" Onyx picked his helmet and equipped it before exiting his office. "I will make sure they are more afraid of me than anybody else."

* * *

Night had fallen at Vale by the time they returned to Beacon. Ruby had managed to drag them to a new weapon's store, and while that would have been the common thing with her, it had been a failed attempt to make Blake and Weiss stop arguing.

Yang had asked Cyane if she was okay with what Weiss was saying. Cyane didn't care a single bit, but was starting to get bored of the endless arguing. Luckily, they decided to return to Beacon when they realized how late it was. In the end, she couldn't wait to be alone, or with Onyx at the very least.

Team RWBY went back to their bedroom quickly, with a couple of apologies from Ruby and Yang, and Lena left a while later, leaving Cyane alone in the gardens and fountains of Beacon. She decided to stay outside to try and forget about the trip down to Vale, sitting in a bench and looking at the stars above. The moon and its fragments shined brightly in the sky.

Ember had told her earlier about the plan they had made to prevent the White Fang from attacking the docks. She listened absentmindedly to what the little flame said, but understood what her role was. She kept looking at the sky, thinking about many things and nothing at the same time until she realized she was getting sleepy.

With a yawn, she rose from the bench and stretched. She started walking back to her dorm when she passed by the statue in front of Beacon. There, she noticed a bow-less Blake and the same monkey Faunus they had seen at the docks. How had he gotten in!? Beacon needed more security staff, Onyx and she couldn't take care of everything and everyone.

They turned to the landing pads when they noticed her. "Where the hell do you think you are going?"

"Umm, well, you know, we are out on a… umm… walk?" The monkey Faunus tried to bluff. Key word being _tried_.

"And who are you?" Asked Cyane, turning to the boy. He wore two red wrist bracers and black fingerless gloves. An open loose-collared white jacket with no shirt underneath covered his torso, but it showed his muscled abs. Blue cargo pants tied up with a white belt and white bandages dressed his legs. "Are you even huntsman?"

"I'm actually from Heaven academy." He said with a smile. "You can call headmaster Lionheart if you want."

Cyane glared at him, but let the subject drop with a sigh. "Anyway, you know it's past curfew. You shouldn't be out without the permission of the staff." She directed her words to Blake.

"Something… happened and I needed time to think away from my team." She said.

Meanwhile, Cyane had warned Onyx of what was happening. They could keep her here at Beacon, but Cyane knew how bad the situation was. They needed time to cool down, and an idea popped in her head. Onyx agreed reluctantly. "So you're just leaving?"

"I just need time to think." Blake said with a sad voice.

Cyane rolled her eyes. "Well, first, I told you so, don't say I didn't. And second, the house Onyx and I own is empty right now, so you can stay in it if you want."

Blake looked at her in disbelief. "Wait, just like that!? You are not going to try and stop me?"

"Yeah, I would have thought you were going to do something like that." Said the boy.

Cyane shrugged. "I saw how you were arguing with Ice Queen. Hard not to, actually. Forcing you both into the same room right now will help nothing. So, instead of letting you wander around Vale without anyone watching you, I will be going with you." Cyane smiled and showed the keys she had.

"I don't think that's-" Blake was cut off by Cyane.

"Is either this or I drag you back inside by force if necessary." She said warningly. "And I'm bringing you back before Sunday night, whether you've had enough time to think or not."

Blake stood in silence for a moment before addressing Cyane. "What do you _really_ want?"

Cyane glared at her but relented. "First, it's my job, and I would like to keep it, thank you very much. Second, I have a feeling that you will end up doing something stupid, and your team will be dragged to it in the end, whether you like it or not. And finally, I have nothing to do this weekend, so going with you might be more entertaining than just staying here."

Blake considered it for a moment, but Cyane added one last thing. "Blake, listen, I know we didn't start great but I'm always willing to keep an open mind. Besides, you haven't done anything suspicious during this months, so I think you are clean."

"Wait, have you been spying on me!?" Asked Blake. The monkey Faunus kept looking between them.

"Um, am I missing something?" None of the two answered him.

"With your past, can you blame us?" Asked Cyane with a shrug.

Blake frowned but sighed in the end. "I guess not." With that, she stepped closer to Cyane and took the house keys. "Fine. We'll do it your way but I will decide when or if I return to Beacon."

Before the keys left her hand, Cyane tightened her grip and stopped Blake from pulling. "You have until Sunday night to decide, but I won't stop whatever you choose. Just think of your team before you make a decision." Her tone was calm, but it showed her worry over the consequences of her decision.

Blake looked at her eyes and nodded. She then leaded the way down to Vale. While the most commonly used transport were the bullheads and airships, there was a path down to Vale from Beacon for people and ground vehicles. The problem with this path was going from Vale to Beacon through that path, seeing as how it was extremely slanted.

Blake took the lead of the small group while Cyane and the monkey Faunus walked a few steps back. "So… name's Sun. Sun Wukong." He smiled at the younger Faunus. "You're a student here at Beacon?"

The spider Faunus smiled back. "Cyane Mika. And no, I'm not a student. I actually work as security at the academy."

"Wow, really!?" He said surprised. "You don't look like a security agent." Cyane turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "I-I mean! You look like a normal student and not like, well…"

"Like a fat, doughnut eating guard?" Sun chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. Cyane giggled. "Don't worry, I was joking. My partner and I make sure that everything at Beacon stays in order. It's not hard but it can get tedious at times."

"Well, seeing as how Beacon is not engulfed in flames, I'd say you are doing a pretty good job." Sun said honestly.

Cyane looked at him surprised, then smiled. "Heh, thanks. So, how did you manage to convince Blake to let you come? In fact, the students from other schools will not arrive until the second term, so what are you doing here?"

Blake turned around. "I'm also curious about this. Where's your team?"

Sun laughed awkwardly. "Well, that's a long story…"

* * *

And so, Sunday arrived. Blake hadn't returned to her team, choosing to stay in the house of Cyane. While Sun had tried to get her to talk, Cyane had been readying herself for the night at the docks. It was still early in the afternoon and the small group was drinking on the balcony of the house. Sun had suggested going to a café, but Cyane convinced them to stay and made some tea and coffee for them.

Finally, Blake decided to explain her past to the two of them. She told them how she had been a part of the White Fang ever since she could do something and how, at first, they stood for equality peacefully. But when the leader stepped down, a new one took hold, and made the White Fang the violent organization that is today. She spoke of how the Faunus begun to be treated like equals, not out of respect, but out of fear.

Cyane nodded when she finished, but it was Sun that asked the first question. "So, have you told your friends any of this?"

Blake looked down in shame and Cyane answered for her. "She is here, hiding at my house after arguing with her friend because of the lack of information and secrets. What do you think?" Sun shrugged and Cyane turned to Blake. "That still doesn't explain what you were doing at Tealle all those years ago."

"Right…" The cat Faunus sighed. "I didn't left immediately. I still considered them family and I had someone that…" She shook her head. "It was only a few months ago that I decided I didn't want to do that anymore. When we raided Tealle, I was told that we were helping Faunus escape from deplorable life conditions and teaching a lesson to some racist humans. It's true that the humans lived better, but it wasn't until later that I got news of what the truth was."

Cyane kept looking at her through her explanation, not giving out any hint about her emotions. When Blake finished, Cyane sipped from her mug. "Hmmm, so this is what Ozpin feels when he is judging someone." She giggled. "Yup, I could get used to this. Anyway, you look like you are telling the truth, so I'll believe you for now."

"Thank you. I'll prove that I'm not lying." She said with determination.

"So… what do we do now?" Asked Sun.

"I'm still not sure the White Fang is behind these robberies." Said Blake. "They've never needed that much Dust before."

"What if they did?" Jumped Sun. The two other girls looked at him. Cyane had refrained from telling her about the docks for obvious reasons. "I mean... the only way to prove that they didn't do it, is to go to the place where they would most likely go to if they were to do it, and not find them there! Right?"

When Blake said that she didn't know where that would be, Sun presented a solution. "While I was on the ship, I heard some guys talking about offloading a huge shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas."

At that, Cyane's eyes widened and spoke before Blake could. "No." The two looked at her, surprised. "None of you are going to the docks, specially tonight."

"What? Why not?" Asked the boy. "We don't even know if someone is going to do something there."

Cyane didn't answer and Blake glared at her. "Cyane, what do you know?"

She returned the glare. "Nothing that concerns you. You both are students and you still have a team to return to. I told you that you had until this night to decide, so I hope you have made up your mind."

"I will not decide anything until you tell me what is going to happen at the docks." She answered with an angered tone.

"Again, why should I? You are still a student and not a full-fledged huntress. You don't need to worry about those things." Cyane smiled evilly. "In fact, have you even begun to study your exams. Oobleck will not take any excuse that-"

"It doesn't matter if the White Fang is out there!" She shouted. "They never needed this much Dust and I don't like to think about what they may be planning on doing!" She rose from her seat. "And you don't get to lecture me about being a student! You're 15!"

Sun, who had wisely decided to stay out of the argument, was surprised by this. "What!? 15!?"

Cyane closed her eyes and left the mug on the table in a calm manner. Then, quicker than any of the two could react, she reached for Blake's hand, grabbing it tightly. She activated her Semblance and started draining her Aura. Blake gasped and kneeled on the ground. Sun rose from his seat but Cyane send him a look that could have killed, making him stay away.

With him out of the way, she turned to a weakened Blake. "I may be younger, but I'm still leagues above you. Let me ask you something: why do you want to be a huntress?"

"What- arg!" She screamed in pain. While Cyane could extract the Aura from someone, she can also use that energy in different ways, like using someone's own Aura, flaring it and causing pain in the body.

"Why do you want to be a huntress!?" She asked again.

"To help the Faunus!" With that, Cyane released her, not before returning the energy she had stolen. "I-I want to see a world where Faunus and humans are equal, where we can walk down the street and not be kicked out of a store or shouted at for being different."

"And hiding your traits is the best way of doing that?" Blake looked down, not willing to answer. "Lets leave that for now. You know you were destined to fail, right?"

Blake looked at her. "What do you mean?"

Cyane calmed down and send her a sad look. "Blake, you are just _one_ Faunus. You can't change the world alone. You have even less of a chance if you get expelled from Beacon because you acted as a vigilante above the law."

Sun inched closer go Cyane. "Did you really need to attack her to tell her that?"

Cyane nodded. "Yep. When you have to watch over hundreds of hormonal, prideful and stubborn teenagers, you tell me how you make them listen to you."

Sun raised a finger and seemed about to speak, but lowered it and closed his mouth after thinking for a few seconds. "Good point."

Meanwhile, Blake had recovered and had taken her seat again. She didn't talk though. "Now that we are a little bit calmer, start thinking with your head and not with your feelings."

Blake looked at her. "I can't let the White Fang hurt innocents."

Cyane sighed. "Let me get this straight: if you were to somehow find about a White Fang operation, what would you do?"

"Stop them, of course." Her statement was followed by a 'Yeah!' from Sun.

"You, alone, against the entirety of the WF." Cyane deadpanned. "Suuuure. Because that will work wonderfully. Don't you realize, you brainless cat!?" Cyane shouted back, startling Blake. "You aren't a one-woman army! You can't win against a terrorist organization alone!"

"But someone has to do something about them!" She retorted.

"And we are!" Cyane lost her patience and slammed her hands on the table. "Not only Onyx and I, but people of trust that we brought in! We, unlike you, are ready to fight them!"

The other two Faunus looked at her, surprised by what she said. "Wait, so you are actually doing something to stop them? Who else is with you?"

Cyane realized what she had said and brought her hands to her face, groaning. "Ugh, I shouldn't have said anything."

Blake followed where Sun had stopped. "If you are actively fighting them, then you must know if they are behind the Dust robberies. Why haven't you stopped them, anyways?"

"Do you even know how many fucking Dust shops are in Vale?" Asked Cyane in a tired tone. She breathed in and out slowly. "Okay, let's do something. I'll tell you what I know, but you will leave this matter to us and go back to Beacon with your team."

Blake was ready to protest, but thought of it for a moment. After a few seconds of silence she nodded and the two looked at Sun, who raised his hands defensively. "Hey, don't look at me. I'll just follow through with whatever you decide."

"Fine then." Said Cyane. She will tell them what she knew, the _redacted_ version of course. Ember, who had listened to the exchange silently, agreed to what she thought. "We have been investigating the White Fang and the robberies for a while. Some link back to them, others don't, but we have clues that led us to believe that the organization _might_ try to steal the SDC Dust cargo. Them, or whoever is stealing the Dust." She explained. "In any case, we will catch the ones responsible and try to put an end to this."

"Let me leave this clear once again: _we_ are going to take care of it. We are trained, we have a plan and we are ready to fight against the organization." Finished Cyane, with a warning tone.

"Who are these people that you keep talking about?" Asked Sun.

"People." She replied, as if that solved every doubt. "I'm not going to tell you who they are for several and obvious reasons. First, it's not my place to tell. Second, you both aren't ready to face against the people that we face. And third, it's simply none of your Dust dammed business."

Sun shrugged, but Blake appeared to be in thought. "And… do you really think you can stop the White Fang? You said it yourself, the people you fight are strong, there are many like them in the Fang."

Cyane nodded. "Don't worry, we got it covered." She smiled. "They may be strong, but we are no pushovers. Now," she got the attention of Blake, "are you going to honor your part of the deal?"

Blake thought about it for a moment. "Blake, you are going to have to face them eventually, whether you like it or not. And the more time you spend out here, without them, the more wary of you they are going to be when you return."

"I'm with Cyane on this." Said Sun, making Blake look at her. "Your team is like your family. You'll laugh, you'll fight, but that's what families do. In the end, they all come back together to stand by each other."

Blake and Cyane looked at him and blinked. "Wow, that's… surprisingly deep, coming from you."

Sun smiled and leaned back, with his hands behind his head. "Meh. I have my moments."

The two girls chuckled and Blake turned to Cyane. "You're right. I… I'll go back to Beacon and explain everything to them." The spider Faunus smiled and nodded. "And, thanks. I think I needed someone to pull me back to reality. I would rather have done it without the pain, though."

Cyane laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, I _may_ have gone a little overboard there. It happens when you live with someone like Onyx."

"What? You mean that you lose your patience easier?" Asked Sun in a joking manner.

Cyane smiled. "Among other things." She looked at Blake. "Hey." The cat Faunus turned to her. "I know we were off to a rough start, but… no hard feelings?" She extended her hand.

Blake looked at it for a moment, before looking at Sun, who smiled and sent her a thumbs up. With a smile of her own, she shook it. "Sure. But only if you buy me a good book."

"Fine." Suddenly, Cyane's smile turned feral. "Maybe one of those books you hide under your bed. You know, of your _special collection._ " She wiggled her eyebrows.

Blake blushed. "How do you know- wait… Yang." She said groaning.

Cyane smirked and sipped from her mug. "You should find better hiding places. I'm surprised she hasn't teased you yet." Cyane shrugged. "Oh, well. You're in for a teat when you return then." She then looked at the monkey Faunus. "And I think I can tell Ozpin to lend you one of the exchange students rooms earlier."

"Nah, don't worry. I have a nice room reserved until my team arrives." He waved his hand.

"Are you sure you can handle whatever happens at the docks?" Asked a still worried Blake.

Cyane nodded. "Seriously, don't worry. If it makes you feel better, I'll tell you what happened when I return to Beacon. Deal?"

Blake smiled and nodded. "Deal."

* * *

 **A.N.: I know this chapter was a bit shorter than usual, but the next one is the end of the Volume and I didn't want to get the docks into this one for fear of leaving the last chapter too short or this one too long.**

 **Now, reviews! Or review, in this case.**

 **Guest: I left traces here and there, but congrats on finding out!**

 **With that done, remember to read and review. I'm open to constructive criticism. After all, I'm here for three things: to write until I like, to make something you guys can enjoy and to improve. So don't be afraid to leave your thoughts.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	24. Chapter XX

**A.N.: hello there! Last chapter of the Volume! Woo! After this, the story will go on hiatus and I will take a week of rest before I start another one. I did say that I would make a Christmas special but I don't know how busy I'll be these days, so no promises.**

 **\- Warning: spoilers for ep7 of V6. Read at your own discretion. –**

 **So, Cinder brought Neo into the loop (at least, partially) and is going to use her to kill Ruby, as Salem ordered her not to. Yeah, Salem's going to catch on sooner or later, so… no. And it turns out Maria was a legendary huntress. Not surprised there, but man, I did not know that assassin was expecting to happen. You cut a Silver Eyed warrior their eyes, you dead. On a happier note, they are all in Argus. Yay! Now to solve the military issue and drop the news of Ozpin on JNR. Boy, Jaune's gonna be pissed.**

 **End of Spoliers. –**

 **With that said, enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Knight of the Faded Fire**

 **Chapter XX**

 **Criminals and tests**

Plat had been standing in a roof close to the docks for some time now. Night was about to settle, but he wasn't worried. His owl traits allowed him to see extremely well in the darkness, much better then a normal Faunus, and his hearing was also quite useful in situations like this. The afternoon had been calm, with a few minor unloads here and there. It wasn't uncommon for large shipments to come by sea, but the smaller ones are usually brought by air.

In any case, there was no signal of any WF members or from any local gang, at least for now. He would have guessed that they may have sent someone to make sure that everything was going according to plan and to deal with any inconveniences. While the lower ranks of the organization are full of recruits with barely any Aura, the higher-ups are clever and organized. Not in the level of the Atlas military, but capable enough to keep the Fang actively running for these 5 years.

Deciding to give another sweep, he leaned over the roof and watched as the last workers organized the crates and the ones ready to deal with the SDC convoy took their places. Nothing seemed to be out of place… except for the corrupt police forces that were already doing rounds around the docks. Credit where credit is due, they did know how to make it look like they were doing their job.

Honestly, there weren't took many of them, Plat counted 27 alongside 3 captains that were slacking off close to the entrance. Plat had brought a small radio that he had patched to the same frequency the police used, listening to their conversations and making sure that he knew when the police was going to leave the docks.

Seeing that everything was alright, he moved backwards and created a chair from his shadows, sitting on it and watching the last sunrays of the day vanish in the horizon. Truly, a marvelous sight. He picked up the bottle of water by his side and took a long swig. He would normally prefer some wine, a small pleasure of his to drink one cup a day, but since he wasn't in the Schnee manor and on active duty, he decided it was best not to. While he wouldn't get drunk, he rather not take one of the few bottles he had bought in Vale to a field mission.

He heard a small sound behind him but he didn't react, instead simply showing the water bottle by his side to the expected guest. Cyane smiled and picked the plastic bottle. "Thanks. It's been an eventful evening, to say the least."

Plat chuckled. "I'm on the other side of the coin, I'm afraid. Everything seems calm here, though you know the saying:" he created another chair with the shadow of Cyane and she thanked him after she sat, "'the calm before the storm' and all of that."

"Well," she begun, "I have convinced Blake to return to her team. She hadn't brought her scroll, so she decided to go back to Beacon and talk with her team today. I messaged Yang and she said she and Weiss were returning now. I couldn't contact Ruby, though, but she'll be back at Beacon eventually."

Plat hummed. "I may have to talk to Weiss myself later on, just to make sure she doesn't overreact."

Cyane turned to him. "You know, she is extremely clever in class and talented in combat, but she lacs a _lot_ of tact. Like, seriously, she started insulting the Faunus in front of me! Not that I care, but if it would have been other…"

He sighed. "I know what you mean. I'm the only Faunus she has ever had as a friend, and I'm not like most of them. I have grown numb to insults, I'm definitely far better in life than many others and, while I would like for Jacques to treat the Faunus better, I never came to care too much for equality." He said with an absent look.

"Really? Why?"

He shrugged. "While my childhood wasn't what you would call 'happy', after I graduated from Atlas academy, luck smiled on me and Weiss's grandfather, Nicholas, contracted me. He was an ambitious man, but someone I could respect and care about, a friend." He smiled, but it turned sad quickly. "That's why I trained Winter and Weiss, as it was his dying wish for me: to prepare them for this dark world. In the end, you can say I don't care about equality because I haven't felt oppressed or pushed around, even if I had to withstand looks and words from Atlas's snobs. And I've also come to terms that true equality might be something I won't get to see."

Cynae sent him a disbelieving look. "What? You're not _that_ old! What are you, like, 40?"

He chuckled. "38, actually, and no, I'm not referring to old age. If that's the case, then sure, most probably I'll get to see it. But our job doesn't have a good survival rate, if you get what I'm saying."

At that, she nodded. "Yeah, I do. But, still, that's no reason to give up, right? If we all did, then the Grimm would have destroyed us ages ago."

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Who says I'm giving up? I'm just being realistic, or maybe a little pessimistic? Still, I'm not giving up, not until there's nothing but dust of me. I still have to make sure the Schnee sisters have a good life."

She smiled back. "You really care about them, don't ya?"

He nodded without hesitation. "They haven't had a nice childhood, contrary to popular belief. I won't go onto details, but they could count the number of friends they had in the manor with their fingers, and still have a few to spare. And ever since her mother, Willow, started drinking, well…" He shook his head. "It all went _more_ downhill if possible. I guess I was the closer they had to a 'cool uncle'" He said, as he played with shadows on one hand.

Cyane smiled. "Well, one is a special operative in Atlas and the other is on her way to becoming a huntress. I'd say you have done a pretty good job."

"Well, when you put it like that, I can't deny it." He said with happiness on his face. "They still have a long way ahead of them, though. At least Weiss." He reached to one of his pockets on the jacket and pulled out a watch. "We still have a couple of hours until the shipment arrives. Are the rest in position?"

She nodded. "Michael is keeping an eye on the safe house but will be here soon. Team EVN is on a bar close by and Onyx is coming down from Beacon right now." She said as she pulled out her scroll. "So, all we can do now, is wait."

"Agreed." He said, as he kept making small figures of shadows to keep himself entertained.

* * *

The shipment of Dust arrived without delay on the docks and the crew there unloaded it at a quick but careful pace. After 45 minutes, the crates were down safely and organized for pickup. The workers saw themselves out once the convoy started it's trip back to atlas, leaving the Dust in the hands of the police stationed there.

And a few minutes later, their numbers started to thin. Not all at once, but little by little, patrol cars went away and didn't return. The radio he had brought informed both of them of the destinations of the patrols and the cause for their absence. Most of them left for minor crimes while others were called to the other side of the city for similar reasons. After a while, the last officer and it's partner left the docks, leaving the Dust unprotected and at anybody's reach.

They waited for a few minutes. The silence in the place was only broken by the sounds of bars and of the drunken workers that passed every now and then. It stayed like that until Plat noticed something on the corner of his eye, up in one of the cranes of the docks. Squinting his eyes, he discovered what he had seen and immediately pulled himself and Cyane to the ground.

Cyane looked at him, surprised and annoyed, but Plat brought a finger to his mouth to silence her. He looked to the craned and watched as the sniper's scope went over them without stopping. "There's a sniper on one of the cranes. Faunus, most probably a woman. At first I thought she was covered in a mantle to conceal herself, but then I noticed it was feathers, most probably wings."

Cyane nodded. "Has she seen us?"

"I don't think so." He looked over once more and watched as the sniper scouted another part of the docks. "Get down to the docks and hide. Wait until the WF arrive, then you can plant the device."

She nodded and dropped from the roof down to the street, running to the crates and finding a spot which the sniper couldn't see from her position. Ember informed the others of the current events, just as a bullhead arrived at the docks. Plat saw the sniper look to the vehicle and change positions, closer to the zone where the bullhead was about to land.

Seeing an opportunity, Plat jumped down and ran towards the sniper, keeping himself hidden from her sight. _'I'm going to take care of our surprise guest.'_ He communicated the others.

Receiving the ok from Onyx, he approached the position of the sniper. Meanwhile, the doors of the bullhead opened and several White Fang stepped outside, followed by Roman himself. "Hey! What's the hold up!?" He says, as the White Fang members look at him. "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?"

Cyane shook her head at this, knowing very well that Roman wasn't fond of the Faunus, except maybe for her. Looking around, she noticed Plat moving closer and closer to the sniper's position, who was still looking around but without her rifle. Ember announced that team EVN were in position and that Onyx was also ready to create a distraction. She nodded in acknowledgement, even if no one could see her, and prepared herself.

"Time to start the show." She muttered.

With that, the plan sprung into action. "Sir, we have a problem!"

Roman sighed and turned to the masked Faunus. "What is it?"

"We've lost contact with one of the patrols and-" He was cut short as a scream reached their ears. Turning around they saw one of the two members of the lost patrol, flying towards one of the crates. He impacted with a loud _'clang!'_ followed instantly by a _'crack!'_ , most probably from the man's spine.

The crate was left dented and the body fell to the floor. A few heavy steps could be heard from where the man had come, between rows of crates. They grew louder and, after a few tense seconds for the terrorists and the thief, a figure appeared. It was completely clad in black armor with golden trimmings, with two horns on its helmet and an enormous sword on his right shoulder. In his left arm he held the other Faunus on patrol, with a shield on its forearm.

"You know, Roman." Onyx spoke, as he choked the Faunus in his left hand, said man struggling in vain. "I was hoping that you would be cleverer than attracting my attention, but alas, it would seem as if that wit of yours you speak so highly about is nothing but a fairy tale." He turned his head and looked at the group in front of him, aiming their weapons at his form.

Roman was _scared_. He knew of what the huntsman in front of him was capable of, and if Roman were to face him alone, he would most surely die. Luckily for him, he was not alone. He gulped and remained calm. "Why, Onyx, my friend, what a surprise to see you around here at this hour of night! Come to join me and my friends on our little walk?"

The only response he got was the loud _'crack!'_ of the neck belonging to the Faunus in his hand as it snapped. The other members readied their rifles but Roman spoke once more. "You see, normally I would just drop all of this and run away, but my friends here," he said, pointing at the members of the Fang, "are in need of this Dust." Roman smiled at the knight. "And they haven't come alone to take it."

The sound of more bullheads made Onyx look up, watching as three more of the transports appeared in the night sky. He looked back at Roman, who was still smiling, and let the body in his hand drop. He watched as the bullheads prepared to drop the troops inside of them, but he wasn't going to allow that. In his left hand, a flame appeared. He kept looking to Roman and chuckled.

"You really should have ran away."

With that, he planted his hand on the floor and the ground trembled, just before several giant pillars of fire erupted, almost reaching to the bullheads, making the pilots pull away in order to keep themselves from burning to death. The only zone unaffected was where Roman and the Fang stood, though a couple of them were too slow to move away and were completely carbonized. When the bullheads pulled away, Onyx stopped and rose from his kneeling position, pointing his sword at them.

On one of the crates, the sniper finally had a clear view of the knight after the fire dispersed. She brought her rifle up, aiming at one of the eye-holes in the helmet. She held her breath and pulled the trigger, only for her sniper to be pushed up, making the silenced shot miss by a great distance. Looking away she noticed that it had been a small black tendril made out of shadows, but she couldn't gather more information as more shadows grabbed her and threw her to the other side of the crate, taking away her line of fire.

She quickly rose from the ground, just in time to dodge a strike aimed at the back of her head. After gaining some distance, she looked up to her assailant. It was a man dressed in a black, light and long jacket with a three-cornered hat, with the two lateral corners pointing backwards. A black cloth covered his face up to his nose and wielded two elegant sabers in his gloved hands. A strange and long device was strapped on his back and showed over his right shoulder.

They stared at each other, her face also covered by a full mask like the ones the lieutenants of her faction wore, only this one was black with red trimmings, as to conceal herself better in the night. A black model of the WF uniform made her even better prepared for night time missions. Her two black wings also helped her hide herself from unwanted eyes. Her sniper was a dark-grey color with a triangular stock and two different types of clips, one on the underside and other to the left of the main body of the weapon. The long and sleek barrel ended in a strange cylindrical muzzle with cables.

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that." Spoke Platinum. "Surrender peacefully and you won't be harmed."

A small chuckled was heard from behind the mask. "Does that ever work?"

He shrugged. "It was worth a try. I rather not have my 'work attire' drenched in blood, but, oh well, I guess I'll just have to work with what I have."

"Tch." Her eyes narrowed under the mask. "Overconfident peacock."

With a hiss from her weapon, the bigger clip at the side was loaded on the weapon and the one on the underside released itself, though it still remained attached to the weapon. With a swift move, she grabbed the barrel and separated it from the weapon while pressing a button on it, making electricity curse through the muzzle, transforming the barrel into a baton of sorts. Meanwhile, the scope of the rifle moved to the right side of the weapon, leaving behind the part closer to the user in a scope made for close range encounters.

With that done she moved closer and started swinging at Plat. The electricity from the Dust in the baton coursed through his blades, but his gloves allowed him to go unharmed. Plat allowed her to go on the offensive, measuring her moves. Her strikes relied more on precision while the rifle, now transformed into a shotgun, packed the punch to go in for the kill. She could take most students, maybe even a below average hunter, but she was no match for Plat. He could only guess that this type of confrontation was a last resort for the sniper.

And so, Plat parried a strike and proceeded move to the offensive. He started by testing his opponent for weaknesses, with quick and fast attacks aiming for different parts of her body, while she blocked most of them and dodged those she couldn't. He had soon realized that the shotgun was a problem, so he decided to get rid of it. Activating the Dust in his blades, the power source moved through the decorations on the blades until it sprung to life, covering one sword in flames and the other in ice.

Seeing this, the sniper attempted to gain some distance, only for a shadow to grab her feet before she could, making her loose balance for a second. It was all Plat needed, as he let some of the fire Dust in his blade scatter itself on the shotgun's barrel with a quick move, before he struck with his ice covered sword on her wrist, making her shout in pain and drop her weapon. She stumbled backwards, grabbing her wrist and looking back at the aggressor with hate in her eyes.

Plat smiled. "You're only overconfident if you can't prove otherwise."

Meanwhile, down on solid ground, Onyx dealt with the terrorists without mercy, quickly and brutally. The ones that foolishly tried to fight him on melee were dispatched before they could even land a hit on him. One of them actually managed to swing at his midsection, only for his blade to break on Onyx's armor. The last thing he saw was the tip of a shield approaching his face. The ones that had an ounce of intelligence stayed by Roman's side and opened fire on the knight. All of the cheap bullets failed to harm him or his armor, and he dodged or used his shield to stop Roman's highly explosive attacks.

When Onyx killed the last Faunus that attempted to stab him, he turned to the small group that remained close to Roman. The thief cursed. "Damn it! Where are the rest of the animals!?"

As if to answer his question, an explosion moved away a few of the containers close to them and, when the dust cleared, he was greeted with the sight of a young tall man with a broadsword in one hand. Behind him, two other girls faced the reinforcements he was talking about, but to his surprise, they were just standing there, trembling at the sight of the two girls, more specifically, to the one on the left with a black and white blouse and white shorts. The other girl turned to the boy.

"Edmond, you know we care about you, but we are here to _protect_ the Dust, not to blow half the city with it." She gave him a stern look. "So please, for everybody's sake, aim your Semblance to the White Fang, _not_ to the highly explosive power source."

The boy laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, this guy sneaked up on me and I acted on instinct. I'm not used to fight around so much Dust."

He noticed Onyx and waved at him calmly, before turning around and facing the Fang members. All of them were trembling and were almost unable to move from their spot. Vesper looked at Edmond while she readied her weapons. "It was really easy to use my Semblance on them. They already had an enormous amount of hate on them, but I thought fear would make our job easier."

Edmond nodded while her sister readied Voracity, her crimson spear/battle axe. "So, what are we waiting for?" Suddenly, she smirked. "Count your kills. The one that has the lowest has to pay for the celebratory party after we win."

Vesper smiled and activated her weapons, Moral Edge. The two hilts sprung to life and created one blade each made out of Dust. She kept her gun, Sunrise, on its holster. "Sure."

Edmond readied his sword, Attendre et Espérer, and pulled his gun, Machina Deus Finem, with his left hand. He shrugged. "Fine. But you can't use this as an excuse to _only_ buy ice-cream for the party."

Both sisters groaned at being discovered, but before they could attack, more bullheads came into view. Onyx had already resumed his fight, reaching Roman and the remaining White Fang in a couple of seconds and dealing with several of them, leaving the thief and three more alive. When he noticed the transports, he saw that most of them carried turrets on their underside. With an idea in mind, he imbued his sword on fire and slammed it on the ground, shattering it and making fire sprung up again, only this time was smaller and more controlled, dispersing the remaining Fang around him and burning the leg of one that was too slow.

"Edmond!" The boy turned around as the knight approached. "Can the sisters take care of those?" He pointed at the trembling White Fang. The boy nodded but Onyx had to cover them from an attack from Roman with his shield before answering. They moved behind cover. "Change of plans. Distract Roman, I will take care of the transports."

Edmond smiled and nodded, but was stopped before he rushed out. "Do not kill him. We need him alive, for now." The boy nodded and moved to engage while Onyx moved calmly to the center of the docks. He pulled out his bow after sheathing his sword and smiled under the helmet. "Dragons, bullheads, the only difference is that I will not feel remorse from destroying he latter."

A top of a row of crates, Plat had managed to land several hits on the woman that had attempted to snipe Onyx. Her Aura was almost at its limit and she was being pushed back by the swordsman. Plat landed another strike with his sword imbued on fire, making the woman grunt in pain and step backwards. She looked back at Plat, who simply stood there. "The option of surrendering is still available, if you are wondering."

She glared at him under the mask. "Fuck you." With a war cry, she ran towards Plat again. He sighed and prepared himself to parry her strike, but failed to notice her hand reaching for something in one of her ammo bags. When she reached the owl Faunus, she stopped in front of him without attacking, confusing the swordsman for a second, before pulling out something from behind her right at his face.

Platinum realized too late that the object was a grenade.

He later discovered it to be a stun grenade. He only managed to concentrate enough Aura to protect his eyes and ears slightly. The problem came with his heightened senses and the proximity of the flashbang. When it exploded, he screamed in pain and dropped one of his sabers, bringing his hand to his eyes. The woman had managed to protect herself before the explosion and used this time to strike at Plat, who was completely blinded and deafened.

She swatted the other sword away and struck at Plat repeatedly, weakening his Aura and pushing him back. His training kicked in, however, and concentrated on protecting his head and chest with his arms. It didn't do much, as the sniper moved his arms away and swung directly at his head, knocking his hat away and making him fall to the ground.

It was at this point that Plat started to recover his senses partially, only to see the woman reach for her fallen weapon and step on his hat in front of him. Looking up, he found himself staring at the end of the barrel of her shotgun.

"Not so cocky now, are we?" She said, with what Plat could only guess to be a smug grin under her mask. "So, are you going to give up, or do I have to blow your brains out?"

Plat looked down and saw her stepping on his hat. He grumbled something that she couldn't heard. "What? Has the stun left you mute too? Speak louder."

"I said," he looked back at her, "don't step on the hat, you bitch." With that, a shadow pulled her gun up and he rolled away. Keeping in a crouched position, he aimed the cannon of his back at her. "Nobody touches the hat."

Before she could react, the cannon at his back fired and sent her flying down to the ground with a loud noise. He stood up, picked his hat and dusted it off. He reached for his sabers and dropped down, were the woman was trying to stand up. She looked at him once more and aimed her shotgun at him. He saw the sparkles of Fire Dust still inside the barrel of the weapon.

"I do not recommend you do that." He said.

The woman stayed silent for a few seconds, beginning a staring contest with him. Her Aura was extremely low while he still had almost half of it. She knew she had to retreat before another combat ensued, and she wasn't going to give up. With an idea in mind, she aimed the weapon at his head and pulled the trigger. The cartridge containing the Dust was fired through the weapon, but the pellets never reached out of the shotgun.

Instead, the Dust left by Plat's blade reacted to the action of the shotgun and ignited inside the barrel. That in itself didn't damage the weapon, but it provoked that the cartridge exploded _inside_ of the barrel, and the highly concentrated pellets blew the shotgun from the inside out.

While this occurred, Vesper and Nyx were dispatching the reinforcements of the White Fang. Vesper swung left and right her Dust swords, cutting through Auras as if they were butter, seeing as how they were already very weak because of the fear she had been causing to the Faunus around her. Her sister did the same, having transformed Voracity into its battle axe form. Some of the Faunus tried to defend themselves as best as they could, but the fear Vesper had caused thanks to her Semblance made it almost impossible. Most of them started to run away from the docks and others jumped back onto the bullheads.

Close by, Edmond fought Roman on a duel, seeing as how most of the Fang members close by were either dead, wounded or had ran away. While Edmond was skilled in fighting at close quarters, Roman was on a huntsmen level, so the fight was reaching a stalemate. Roman swung his can at Edmond's head, only for him to dodge and strike at the thief's stomach, but Roman managed to block at the last second, proceeding to counter attack almost instantly.

Edmond parried the hit and moved to strike downwards, forcing Roman to dodge to the left. Seeing an opportunity, the thief aimed at the feet of Edmond and fired. The boy noticed this and jumped away at the last second, dodging the explosive payload and aiming his gun at the thief as Roman did the same with his came. They were stopped by an explosion above them, as a bullhead with a flaming motor feel to the sea.

Another transport aimed at the two girls still dealing with what remained of the White Fang, only to have the pilot killed by an arrow the size of a person. The projectile broke the glass panel of the cockpit and impaled the pilot, destroying his Aura and killing him instantly. The bullhead flew uncontrollably and collided with another one carrying the fleeing White Fang members, making both explode mid-air.

"It seems I am not as rusty as I thought." Mentioned Onyx, making the two girls turn and look at him. "Good job with the reinforcements. Michael has the exit from the docks covered and has taken care of those that tried to escape."

Both girls smiled, but an explosion cut them off. The three turned to look to the source: a woman with black WF attire and mask laying on the ground, with part of her right arm burned and the mask broken at the right eye. Plat stepped from behind a crate and pointed his sword at her. "I told you not to do that."

Meanwhile, Roman used the distraction to try and strike at Edmond, but he wasn't caught off guard and parried the strike and continuing their previous engagement. This time, Edmond tried to keep his distance using his sword in the whip mode, forcing Roman into the defense.

It seemed they wouldn't get to end the fight, as the combat was stopped yet again by a new voice. "Hey!"

Both of them looked ta one of the rooftops close to the docks, only to see Ruby standing there with her scythe extended by her side. "Oh, hello Red! Isn't it past your bedtime?"

The scythe wielder turned around to address someone and Roman used this chance to shoot at her. Onyx became aware of the attack and turned on the ground, holding the bow sideways, and firing an arrow on the path of the attack. Both collided close to the intended red target, but it left Ruby without a single scratch.

The person behind Ruby stepped forward and several swords appeared from the backpack she carried. She jumped down and started doing short work of the few members of the Fang remaining. Edmond turned back to Roman only to see the thief make his way to the closest bullhead. He was about to stop him when he noticed Cyane moving to the same transport. Remembering the plan, he turned to assist the new arrival, only to have the remaining airborne bullheads do a sweep with their Gatling guns at them.

Onyx was already aiming at one of them when a sound caught his attention. He turned to the new girl that had arrived with Ruby and watched as she charged a ball of green energy with her swords. In a couple of seconds, the charged energy was expelled in several lasers, cutting through most of the bullheads.

He was impressed, to say the least, only to have his thoughts cut by Ember. _'Onyx, something is wrong with that girl's soul.'_

He kept looking at said girl as she pulled down a bullhead that was trying to escape, only this time he did it with suspicion. "What do you mean? Has she been close to Salem?"

' _No. It's something… different.'_ Ember tried to explain. _'It's as if her soul wasn't linked to me in any way, not to the darkness either. It's as if it was… created by someone else, rather than born. It feels… artificial.'_

He watched as the bullhead slammed down on the ground and exploded. Everyone looked at the display of the girl. "I will keep that in mind. For now, she seems to be on our side."

Plat had been looking at what had happened and thanks to his traits, he had noticed the thin, metallic strings that connected the swords to the girl's backpack. He didn't pay it too much thought, and turned back around to apprehend the wounded sniper, but he found the spot she had been laying empty. Looking around, he didn't manage to find any sings of the attacker. Sighing at his mistake, he sheathed his swords and moved towards the rest of his companions.

During this spectacle, Roman had managed to reach the bullhead and had hoped in. "These huntsmen just keep getting weirder!" He closed the hatch and turned to the inside of the transport. He was about to light a cigar and calm himself, only to be stopped by a voice in the ceiling.

"Wow, Roman, should I feel offended by that?" The spider Faunus dropped down in front of him, startling him.

He then sighed but tensed up ever so slightly. "Are you here to finish the job of that overcompensating knight?"

Cyane brought a hand to her chin and hummed. "Nah. I'm just here to talk." She moved past him and took a seat at the side of the cargo zone. "So, not your best hit, huh?"

Roman glared at her. "Oh, maybe you can tell me why? After all, it was your friend and his gang of do-gooders down there!"

Cyane shrugged. "You're the one that was trying to rob a highly important shipment of Dust, and working with the White Fang while doing so. Did you really expect that we wouldn't notice? Or that we wouldn't do anything?"

"You didn't seem to care about the rest of the robberies." He said as he lighted a cigar. "Why start now?"

"Because now you are overstepping your boundaries." Explained Cyane. "I don't know how much your new boss is paying you, but it's not worth gaining the ire of Onyx. You've seen how he has acted today."

Roman looked at her. "How do you- Neo, of course." He brought a hand to his face. "She really shouldn't be talking this much about our business partners. It brings problems."

"Has she ever cared about that?" Asked Cyane, knowing the answer.

"No, but this time it's different." He answered. "I don't care how many people you bring against me, the Lady in Red will roast them all into cinders if you fight them."

"Lady in Red? Really? That's her codename?"

Roman shrugged. "The name doesn't matter. You can't face her, and I sure as hell can't either. And she is of those of 'with her or against her' kind of people." He looked at the ceiling and exhaled the smoke from his cigar. "Whatever you think you can do to stop her, you can't."

Cyane looked at him for a moment before laughing. Finally taking notice of the extra passenger, one of the pilots spoke. "Everything okay back there?"

Roman gave a weird look at Cyane before answering. "Yeah, Perry, keep flying, but take a detour to the hideout to loose anyone that may follow." He turned back at Cyane. "What's so funny about this?"

Cyane wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye. "Man, you seriously know nothing about Onyx." She stood up. "He is not like any other huntsman you know. _He_ is the one that can't be stopped when he sets a goal to achieve. Right now, your mysterious boss is threatening Vale and that has definitely caught his attention." She walked to the hatch at the side of the bullhead.

"What you have seen today is nothing compared to what he will do to your oh-so-scary boss." She reached for the handle and opened the door, but she gave a sad look at him. "I don't want to have to fight you or Neo, but… I will if I have to. We can give you an out of all of this, so think about it before it's too late."

With that she jumped off to a nearby roof before Roman closed the hatch, and was left to his own thoughts…

Only to be interrupted by the pilot again. "Boss, what's going on back there?"

Roman sighed. "Nothing, just keep flying." Unknown to them, a small, semi-spherical device had been attached to the outside of the vehicle.

* * *

Overall, the plan had been a success. When Cyane informed them that she had installed the device, Vesper and Nyx jumped with a happy shout while Edmond nodded with a smile. Plat let out a small chuckle alongside Onyx, and Michael informed them later that he and his robots had dealt with the members that had tried to run into the city, capturing most of them.

The docks had been transformed into an utter mess, and the police arrived shortly after. Onyx explained what had happened and warned the officers about their corrupt companions. Meanwhile, Cyane spoke with Ruby and Penny. The reaper explained how she didn't get her calls or the ones of her team as she had been distracted searching for Blake with Penny. Cyane explained what had happened between her and Blake and that she should return to Beacon ASAP.

Michael delivered the captured terrorist members to the police and dealt with any questions they might have. Of course, he excluded any illegal activities their group may have done, like hacking into Vale's bank accounts and spying on agents of the police force. Only their little group knew the truth. For the police, it was all a happy coincidence, and they were not going to question huntsmen, especially the ones that worked at Beacon.

With that settled, the group that had dealt with the attack, now accompanied by Ruby, started their trip back to Beacon. Penny had been picked up by what appeared to be an agent of Atlas, though only Plat and Michael noticed this. Ruby kept talking about how they had been 'so cool' when they had to deal with the bullheads and how she wished she could fire a bow like that. Onyx explained that while her Aura would allow her to do that, she was too small to properly use it. She complained about how that wasn't true, until Onyx gave her the greatbow, proving his point while Ruby tried to fire a single arrow. He bow was too big and she ended up on the ground alongside the weapon and arrow after losing her grip on the string, eliciting several laughs from the group.

When they returned to the academy, Onyx was carrying in his shoulder an almost asleep Cyane. Ozpin was awaiting them on the landing platforms along with Glynda and Ruby was quickly dismissed as to return to her worried teammates, who had been told of what had occurred. Team EVN also went on their way soon after, with all of the members showing signs of tiredness. Luckily for Onyx and especially Cyane, Plat and Michael volunteered themselves to brief the Headmaster on what had occurred.

With that settled, Onyx took Cyane to her room, but she stood on the door wthout opening it, looking down at the floor. Onyx turned around and looked at her. "Is something wrong, Cyane?"

"I…" She sighed. "I know what we are fighting for but…" She looked up at him. "I don't know if I will be able to fight Neo. I… I don't want to."

Onyx walked closer to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I know. Neither do I, but right now, you are not thinking clearly. You are tired and need to rest. We can talk about this tomorrow if you want." She looked back down but Onyx used his hand to pull her chin upwards. "If it makes you feel better, I promise that I will do everything I can to keep them alive, alright?"

Cyane smiled weakly and nodded, before hugging him. He let go and walked inside her room with a yawn. Onyx smiled and went back to his own room, deciding to take this night to rest and sleep.

* * *

The next week came and went in a blur for all the students. It was the last week before the finals and tensions were high in the air. Students went around with books and notebooks through the halls, the training grounds were almost always occupied and the mess hall was filled to the brim with students going back and forth through their notes.

Meanwhile, Cyane was on the armory of the academy. On her personal workbench, she was cleaning and checking her weapon. She didn't have to take any of the exams, but Glynda would sometimes call her to fight a team when needed. She also liked to do this in order to calm her thoughts and have her mind in the right place. Michael had told them were the device had ended, but they decided to wait for after the finals. This time, though, she was accompanied by someone.

After the sessions with Ozpin, Amber was calmer and had recovered almost fully. Her powers were still halved, but she had regained control of the ones she still possessed. It was tiring, but Maiden powers were useful in case of an emergency. Right now, she was talking with Cerulean, one of the three smiths at Beacon, about making a new one for her.

The other two blacksmiths and caretakers of the armory were attending some students at the time, seeing as how many wanted to upgrade their weapons for the finals. Persimmon, a tall, burly man with a white beard was the chief of the armory and the forge. Onyx kept saying that he reminded him of a blacksmith of his own time, both in body and behavior. The last one, a panther Faunus named Rajah, was a young woman, specialized in understanding and taking care of most of the weapons in Beacon, both from the armory and the students.

She was also the one that gave the classes to those who applied for weapon building in the academy. While most students, if not all, already had weapons when entering Beacon, this class served to either help them improve their weapons by themselves or to help them create a new one if they needed it.

Normally, the students aren't allowed inside the forge itself unless it's a special case or an exercise for a class. They are allowed to use the armory and the workbenches and tools whenever they need, but they needed special permission to enter the forge itself. Not that it was hard to get, but it was more of a method of keeping the forge from crowding so that the three smiths could work without problems.

Still, none of them minded the presence of Cyane, or in many other cases, Ruby, who had easily befriended Persimmon and the other two, allowing her free pass into the forge. While normally they wouldn't allow it, when Ruby showed them her skills in crafting, they couldn't find any problems in letting her in. That, combined with her cheery attitude, and the fact that she helped them whenever she could, made her an honorary member of the forge team.

In this case, Ruby was with Schwarz in one of the workbenches, finishing his weapon. After several week of hard work, failures and retries, they had managed to make what he needed. Ruby had her tongue poking out of her mouth as she finished adjusting one of the parts of the stock. She finished and wiped some sweat off her forehead. "Buf, that's done." With a smile, she looked at her new creation.

It was still incomplete, but the last part of the process was in the hands of her weapon-building partner. Schwarz had been the sense of reason in this project, providing clear insight of what he needed and keeping Ruby's desire for extreme firepower at a manageable level. Nonetheless, he had been a great working partner and someone that she could talk about weapons and modifications. He was well versed and made many of the calculations and measurements required faster than she could have ever done.

While working together, the red reaper had found out that her partner appeared to be lost in though several times, but she discovered that it was his way of calculating and programing. She tapped his shoulder and smiled when he turned to look at her. "It's done! Are you finished? Oh, I can't wait to shoot this beauty!"

The scientist chuckled at his partner and nodded. "Yes, the programming is done." He opened his palm and showed a small core in it. "When I activate this, it will combine with the rifle and add the modifications I require." His smile became wider. "This is going to be a great experiment indeed."

He moved towards the weapon and laid the core on it. With a few commands from his brain, the core was brought to life and red and black tendrils started to move through the surface of the weapon before moving to the inside. It changed the weapon's structure slightly, but instead of transforming into an amalgamation of cables like the rest of the SIVA, the nanomachines merged with the weapon perfectly.

The two kept staring at the weapon until the process finished. After a few seconds, the movement stopped and the core fell to the table, lifeless and consumed. The weapon, on the other hand, was completely changed. Instead of a grey, colorless rifle, the weapon now had a main black color with red outlines and thin red cables on its surface. The holographic sight had also been modified, though only Schwarz could feel the connection to it.

Several small, square-like shapes had appeared at the end of the barrel on both sides, while a few plates had appeared in the center of the weapon, protecting the main body from attacks. One of them had Schwarz's symbol on it. The horizontal handle under the barrel had been reinforced and modified to be lighter. The receiver, which was under the stock and not in front of the trigger, had also been modified to make the reload faster and smoother.

"Wow." Ruby said. "It looks awesome!"

Schwarz smiled and grabbed the weapon. It wasn't light, but it wasn't too heavy either. He aimed the weapon and watched as the holographic sight came to life. With a small movement of the hand, the sight expanded forward and amplified what he had in front of him, as if it was a sniper's scope.

"That's so cool!" mentioned Ruby. "We should go test it!"

He nodded and a few minutes later they found themselves on the firing range. It was at this moment hat Ruby noticed something, or in this case, lack of it. "Umm, Schwarz?" The boy looked at her. "Where is the ejection port?"

He smiled. "It doesn't need one." With that, he loaded a clip of Dust-less bullets and started firing at the target. The programming in the weapon took effect, and it combined itself with the feedback received from his eye. The bullets struck at the target shaped like a stereotypical thief, with a sack and a black bean on its head, in two 3-burst rounds, leaving holes where the heart and brain would be in a normal person. It didn't end there though, as several flying nanites spread from the points of impact and consumed the fake thief in a matter of seconds before exploding and leaving nothing behind.

Ruby was slack-jawed at what she had just seen. "But-but where did the bullet casings went!?"

"They were consumed." Replied Schwarz, as if it was the most common thing in Remnant. "The SIVA inside devours those casings and accumulates the nanites to fire with the bullets. You've just witnessed the results." He pointed at were the target used to be. "And thanks to your modifications, I can use Dust without fearing a malfunction or having to worry about it being consumed by the SIVA."

The weapon lover was smiling and staring at the new creation. "That's amazing!" She then calmed down and rubbed the back of her head. "Umm, can I… you know…?"

The scientist nodded. "Of course. You were invaluable in its creation. It's only fair that I let you try it."

When she picked it up, she turned to him. "How are you going to name it?"

He stood in thought for a moment before answering. "Outbreak Prime."

Ruby smiled wildly and the next couple of hours were spent in trying the new weapon. Suffice to say, it was a great success.

* * *

The day had come. Jaune was in the changing room, staring at his weapon. "Oh, man. I don't think I can do this."

He had been dreading this day ever since he was informed of the test. He had been training as much as he could with Pyrrha and had improved greatly. It was clear that he was still not in the level of his friends, but he was advancing a lot. Pyrrha was a great teacher, and he needed to keep up in order to be a competent leader.

A knock on the door grabbed his attention. "Jaune, are you ready?" Came the voice of Pyrrha.

"Umm, yeah." He sat up and took a deep breath. He nodded and headed out, where his partner awaited with a smile. "Let's go."

When they arrived to the arena, Onyx was alone in it. Instead of his usual greatsword, an axe the same length as the sword was on his shoulder. If it wasn't for the movement of his breathing, Jaune could have sworn he was in front a suit of armor of an old Lord or something similar. He gulped and stepped in front of him, alongside Pyrrha. They were the only three in the room.

Onyx went straight to the point. "The fight will begin when that timer," he pointed at the screen, were said timer was stuck on '5' for now, "reaches zero. From there on, you will have 2 minutes to stay inside the arena. The fight ends when the timer reaches zero, I call the end or you both are eliminated. Tournament rules, so elimination at 15% or ring-out."

Both students nodded and readied themselves. Onyx pressed a button on his scroll and the timer counted down. When it reached zero, Onyx jumped and brought down his axe with him at the two students. Pyrrha dodged to the right and Jaune to the left. The Spartan was he first to move, attempting to strike under the armpit, where armors are usually weaker. Onyx moved his shield and parried the strike, but Pyrrha didn't stop and moved around to attack with her shield at his back.

Meanwhile, Jaune slashed at his other arm, only for Onyx to react faster than him and swing at him with his axe. Jaune shouted but covered himself with his shield, blocking the attack but skidding backwards. Pyrrha used this chance to move behind him, but before her attack begun, she saw the floor under her heat up and she managed to dodge the pillar of fire in the last second. Jaune rejoined her and Onyx turned to face them.

The leader of team JNPR looked at his partner and nodded. She did the same and both of them split again. Onyx waited between the two. Jaune closed in and attacked Onyx, but he simply stopped it with his shield. Before he could respond, several Fire Dust bullets hit his helmet and made him miss, providing an opening for Jaune, who leaned in under the swing and stabbed at his chest. It didn't even bulge the armor, but it had enough strength to set the knight a step back.

Pyrrha took that moment to launch her shield at his head. He saw it coming and dodged, only this time, Jaune took advantage to his proximity and swung again at him. What the blonde boy didn't expect was for Onyx to simply grab the sword mid-swing and kick Jaune in the chest, sending him backwards. Pyrrha had moved behind him and was about to hit his leg when Onyx shouted. "Now!"

From the rafters above, Cyane dropped and impaled her shield on the ground where Pyrrha was standing a second ago. The warrior looked at the new arrival as she smiled at Pyrrha. "You said that we only had to fight you."

Onyx shook his head. "I told you that you had to fight me, but I never said against me alone." He turned to Jaune. "A leader must improvise in the face of hopeless situations."

Jane went wide-eyed and gulped. He looked at his partner at the other side of the arena, now separated by two opponents. She smiled to him and he calmed down. With that, he moved to Onyx, but at the last second, rolled away from a strike and watched as Pyrrha tricked Cyane into using her shield as a trampoline and join Jaune.

Now, together again, Jaune whispered to Pyrrha for a moment before they changed their positions, with Pyrrha used her Semblance against Onyx's armor while Jaune held out against Cyane, staying completely defensive and not allowing the spider Faunus to take his Aura. Jaune allowed Cyane to push him to the border of the arena and held out against her. Meanwhile Pyrrha discovered that the material of the armor, while metal and affected by her Semblance, wasn't as magnetic as she hoped. Nonetheless, it made his movements slower and more predictable, if only by a little.

Pyrrha jumped backwards and waited for Onyx to charge. When he did she threw her shield, which Onyx easily swatted away, although not realizing that the attack wasn't aimed at him. Jaune had been blocking and holding as best as he could, but Cyane was easily pushing him back. What none of the two more experienced fighters had noticed was that Cyane was now backwards to where Onyx was fighting Pyrrha. When the shield Pyrrha threw was swatted away, Jaune grabbed Cyane's attention by shoulder-charging her. She blocked easily, but was pushed right in the trajectory of the shield, and noticed far too late the incoming weapon.

It hit her right in the head and sent her out of the ring, but while Jaune smiled at the success of his plan, he turned to see his partner fighting against Onyx without a shield. Safe to say it didn't end well, as Onyx, tired of her Semblance, casted an explosion of fire in his hand right in front of her. She covered with her arms, but was thrown backwards. She landed gracefully, but before she could rejoin, a loud sound made her look to the screen to notice that she had been eliminated by ring-out, just as Cyane.

That only left Onyx and Jaune alone in the arena. The following fight consisted of Jaune running, dodging and screaming at Onyx's attacks. Still, the boy managed to stay inside the ring and his great amount of Aura allowed him to resist against the knight, even if Onyx was holding back. But after such a fight of attrition, Jaune was starting to loose and his Aura was running low. After a few seconds, Jaune managed to parry one of his strikes and use the small opening to slam his shield on the chest plate of Onyx with all the Aura and strength he could muster and then proceeded to try and stab at one of his eyes in a desperate attempt to send him out of the arena.

It _almost_ worked, as the shield bash made Onyx take a couple of steps back, followed then by the sword which forced him to block, unless he wanted to lose an eye temporally. However, Onyx stayed inside the ring, and with an exhausted Jaune at his reach, he grabbed his wrist and threw him at the stands, close to where Cyane and Pyrrha where now sitting, forcing them to dodge a flying Jaune.

With that, the last ring sounded and declared the end of the fight, but they hadn't managed to hold out the two minutes. Pyrrha helped Jaune back down at the center of the room and waited for Onyx to speak. "You lost. You did not hold out for those two minutes. However, you were put against me and Cyane and you managed to knock one of us out of the ring."

Cyane rubbed where the shield had hit. "Has anyone got the number of that shield that just ran me over? Because I think I'm going to have a headache after this."

Pyrrha laughed nervously. "I'm sorry."

Cyane shook her head and assured that everything was fine. Onyx continued. "Jaune, you managed to coordinate your partner and yourself in such a way that we could not fight you properly. You used the few advantages that you had to its best and held out against the 2 of us." He smiled under the helmet. "I'm impressed."

Jaune looked up to him. "Does that mean I passed?"

Onyx nodded. "While you still have a lot of work to do, I can finally see the potential Ozpin was talking about."

Jaune breathed a sigh pf relief as Pyrrha smiled and hugged him for a moment, before both realized it and separated with a crimson tinge on their cheeks. "And I honestly think you deserve that spot in the tournament."

Both of them smiled back at the knight before he dismissed them. They returned to their team, not without going to the infirmary first. "You are not concussed, are you?"

Cyane shook her head. "Nah, I don't think so, but I'll stop later by the infirmary." She sat beside the knight in the stands. "You were holding back a _lot_. Does he really deserve to be here?"

Onyx nodded. "Yes. He may lack in combat capabilities, but he is a good strategist and cares about his team. I think that, with time, he will become a great huntsman."

Cyane shrugged. "Okay, if you say so." She looked up at the ceiling. "You know, I think that we have had a great term: stopping baddies, teaching students, helping Maidens…" She jumped up from her seat and stretched. "I can't wait for the next one."

Onyx rose from his seat and allowed Cyane to climb up to his shoulder. "Me neither."

' _That makes us three then.'_ Mentioned Ember in a happy tone. _'For the future.'_

Onyx and Cyane smiled and spoke at the same time. "For the future."

* * *

 **A.N.: I'm still undecided on which of my ideas to write about. Both of them are crossovers with RWBY, but I still don't know which one to start. Nonetheless, I'll give you all a clue for each story (they are pretty easy to guess when you see the clues, tho) and, if you have any preference, you can PM me about it. Only PMs though. I will keep reading any new reviews but I preferred if you did it like that.**

 **1** **st** **option: watch?v=NfD4Qqbp80k**

 **2** **nd** **option: watch?v=UkYzoKJ13sY**

 **Now, reviews!**

 **DrCheeze: I'm glad I did. I try to make a story that most people can enjoy, so I'm glad you enjoyed my story.**

 **With that said, next week wont have a chapter. I will start writing something but I want to take a week of rest. And I know I said I didn't include the fight of the docks in the last chapter for fear of it being too long, and then I make this 10k long. Ao yeah, I have no fucking measure for this.**

 **Have a great Christmas!**


	25. New Story

**New story**

 **Hello there! I'm writing this to let you guys know that I have started another RWBY crossover. I'll be posting chapters as if it were Faded Fire and will, more or less, be the same length as the ones in this story.**

 **Seeing as how FF doesn't like chapters made only of A.N., here you have a small sneak peek.**

 **I hope you all had a merry Christmas, and I wish you all a happy 2019!**

 **Enjoy!**

/ **? POV** /

Different. I think that word defines my kind quite well. Maybe strange is better. Though, in the end, it comes more to who you ask. The other Elders call us Dark Ones. The Inferiors are only animals, so the first thing they think would be to run or fight, though the latter doesn't usually end well for them. And the Humans call us monsters. Heh, _monsters_. I'm sure there is some kind of irony in that. After all, we aren't the ones that wear their skins as armor…

Well, excluding Fatalis. Those things are out of their mind.

Though, maybe my kind isn't as sane as I would like either. Our first instinct is to go that specific place, that mountain, and spread the Virus through the lands, infecting everything in the territory and propagating our species. It all occurs when one of our kind sheds their skin and 'Ascends', as we have come to call it. After this, our time becomes limited. In the previous form, my kind is almost unaffected by time, but after we Ascend, death inches closer. We still live many years, but not nearly as much as in our first skin.

But I, unlike my sister and brother, don't feel the same. Sure, I still want to go to that mountain, but it is more like a small tug in my mind than a primal instinct. Maybe it's because I was born the weakest of the three of us, or maybe there is another reason. Don't know, and honestly, seeing as how my brother and sister ended because of it, I don't care.


End file.
